President Biden's Address to the Nation

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Amna: Welcome to this pbs news is special report -- president Biden's address to the nation.

I'm amna nawaz.

Geoff: And I'm geoff Bennett.

Nearly two weeks ago, hamas terrorists attacked Israel with deadly surprise raids.

Israel has responded with unrelenting airstrikes in gaza.

Since then, the violence has escalated and the death toll has mounted, with more than 5000 killed on both sides.

Amna: President Biden has just returned from a trip to Israel.

He was also scheduled to meet in Jordan with its leader, king Abdullah, as well as with the leaders of the Palestinian authority and Egypt.

But after an explosion at a hospital in gaza and conflicting reports of who was to blame, Palestinian officials pointing to the Israelis.

U.S. And Israeli officials saying intelligence shows the rocket came from gaza.

That Jordan summit was scuttled.

Tonight, the president is - - geoff: Tonight, the president is expected to speak about the U.S.

Response to this war, and to the other war that has been a global focus for nearly two years -- the war in Ukraine.

But first, to president Biden speaking from the oval office.

Pres.

Biden: Good evening, my fellow Americans.

We are facing an inflection point in history, one of those moments where the decisions we make today are going to determine the future for decades to come.

That is what I would like to talk with you about tonight.

This morning, I returned from Israel.

I was the first American president this cabinet, and I met with Israelis who have horrific horror on the attack by hamas on the seventh of October.

More than 1300 people slaughtered in Israel, including at least 32 American citizens.

Scores of innocents, from infants to elderly grandparents, Israeli Americans taken hostage.

As I told the families of Americans being held captive by home.

As president, there is no higher priority for me than the safety of Americans held hostage.

Hamas unleashed pure unadulterated people in the world, but sadly the jewish people know perhaps better than anyone that there is no limit to the depravity of people when they want to inflict pain on others.

In Israel, I saw people who were resilient and also angry and shocked and in deep pain.

I also spoke with the Palestinian authority and reiterated that the united States remains committed to the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination.

The actions of hamas terrorists don't take that right away.

Like so many others, I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life including the explosion at the hospital in gaza, which was not done by the Israelis.

We mourn every innocent life lost.

We can't ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have an opportunity.

The assault on Israel echoes nearly 20 months of war, casualty, and brutality inflicted on the people of Ukraine, people who were very badly hurt since Putin launched his all-out invasion.

We have not forgotten the mass graves, the bodies found, rape used as a weapon by the Russians, and thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken into Russia, stolen from their parents.

It is sick.

Hamas and Putin share different threats, but they share this in common.

They both want to completely annihilate democracy.

Hamas's state of purpose for existing is the destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of jewish people.

Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.

They use Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent families are suffering greatly because of that.

While, Putin denies Ukraine ever had real statehood.

He claims the soviet union created Ukraine.

Just two weeks ago, he told the whole world that if the united States and our allies withdraw, military support from Ukraine would have a week left to lived.

I know these conflicts can seem far away, and it is natural to ask, why does this matter to America?

Let me lay clear why making sure they succeed is vital for America's national security.

When terrorists do not pay price to their terror, when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, it causes more chaos, death, and destruction they keep going, and the costs to America in the world keep rising.

If we do not stop Putin is appetite for power and control in Ukraine, he will not limit himself just to you rain.

- - Just to Ukraine.

Putin has already threatened to remind Poland that their western land was a gift from Russia.

One of his top advisers has called Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania Russia's baltic prominences -- promises.

For 75 years, nato has kept peace in Europe and has been the cornerstone of American security.

If Putin attacks a nato ally, we will defend every inch.

We will have something that we do not seek, making clear we do not seek to have American troops fighting in Russia or fighting against Russia.

Behind Europe, we know our allies and competitors are watching our response in Ukraine .

If we walk away and let Putin a race Ukraine's Independence, others will be emboldened to try the same.

Chaos could spread in the indo pacific, in the Middle East, especially the Middle East.

Iran is supporting Russia in Ukraine and it is supporting hamas and will continue -- and we will continue to hold them accountable.

The United States and our partners across the region are working to build a better future for the Middle East, one where the Middle East is more stable, better connected to its neighbors, and through innovative projects like the India, Middle East, and Europe rail corridor that I announced this year, more predictable markets, more employment, less raids, less grievances, less war.

It would benefit the people of the Middle East and benefit us.

American leadership holds the world together.

American alliance is what keeps us safe.

American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with.

To put all that at risk, we walk away from Ukraine, we turn our backs on Israel, it is just not worth it.

That is why tomorrow I am going to send to congress energy it budget request -- an urgent budget request to support our partners, including Israel and Ukraine.

It will benefit American security for generations, help us keep American troops out of harms way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren.

In Israel, we must make sure they have what they need to protect their people today and always.

The security package I am sending to congress and asking congress to deal is president and commitment to Israel's security that will sharpen Israel's committed literary edge that we are -- military edge that we are connected to.

We are going to make sure iron dome continues to guard the skies over Israel.

We are going to make sure other hostile actors in the region know that Israel is stronger than ever and prevents this conflict from spreading.

At the same time, president Netanyahu and I discussed the critical need for Israel to operate by the laws of war.

That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can.

The people of gaza urgently need food, water, and medicine.

Yesterday, and discussions with the leaders of Israel and Egypt, I discussed an agreement for the first shipment of humanitarian assistance from the united nations to Palestinians in gaza.

This provides an opening of sustained delivery for lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

As I said in Israel, as hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace, on a two state solution.

Israel and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace.

Here at home, we have to be honest with ourselves.

In recent years, too much hate has given too much oxygen.

It has fueled a rise in anti-semitism and islamophobia right here in America.

It has also led to horrific threats and attacks that both shock us and break our hearts.

On October 7, terror attacks have triggered deep scars and terrible memories in the jewish community.

Today, jewish families worry about being targeted in school, wearing symbols of their faith walking down the street, or going out about their daily lives.

I know many of you in the Muslim American community, the Arab American community, the palestinian-american community, and so many others are outraged, saying to yourselves, here we go again with islamophobia and distrust we saw after 9/11.

Just last week, a mother was brutally stabbed.

A little boy in the united States who just turned six years old was murdered in their home outside of Chicago.

His name was -- a proud palestinian-american family.

We cannot stay silent when this happens.

We must denounce anti-semitism.

We must denounce islamophobia.

To those of you hurting, I see you, you belong, and I want to say this to you, you are all American.

In moments like these, when fear and suspicion, anger and rage run hard, we have to work harder than ever to hold onto the values that make us who we are.

We are a nation of religious freedom, freedom of expression.

We have a right to debate and disagree without fear of being targeted in schools or work places.

We must renounce violence and vitriol, see ourselves not his enemies, but as fellow Americans.

When I was in Israel yesterday, I said that when Americans experience to be held of 9/11 -- experienced the hell of 9/11, we made mistakes.

I caution the government of Israel not to be blinded by rage.

Here in America, let us not forget who we are.

We condemn all forms of hate, whether against muslims, J EWS, or anyone.

That is what great nations do, and we are a great nation.

With Ukraine, I am asking congress to make sure we continue to send Ukraine the weapons they need to defend themselves without interruption, so Ukraine can stop Putin's brutality.

They are succeeding.

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he thought he would take kiyev and all of Ukraine in a matter of days.

He is still stands because of the greatness of Ukrainian people.

Ukraine has regained more than 50% of the territory Russian troops once occupied.

Backed by a U.S.

Led coalition, all doing its part to support Kyiv.

What would happen if we walked away?

We are the essential nation.

Meanwhile, Putin has turned to Iran and North Korea to buy attack drones and ammunition to terrorize Ukrainian cities and people.

From the outset, I have said I will not send American troops to fight Ukraine.

All Ukraine is asking for his help for the munition, the capacity, the capability to push invading Russian forces off their land, and air defense systems to shoot down Russian missiles before they do straight - - before they destroy Ukrainian cities.

We still have equipment sitting in our stockpiles, and when we use the money allocated by congress, we use it to replenish our own stockpiles with no equipment, equipment that defends America and is made in America.

Patron missiles for air defense batteries, made in Arizona.

Artillery shells manufactured in 12 states across the country in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and so much more.

Just as of World War II, today, patriotic American workers are building the arsenal of democracy and serving the cause of freedom.

Let me close with this.

Earlier this year, I boarded air force one for a secret flight to Poland.

There, I boarded a train with blacked out windows for a 10 hour ride each way to Kyiv, to stand with the people of Ukraine ahead of the one-year anniversary of their braveery.

I was the first president into a war zone not controlled by the United States military since president Lincoln.

With me was just a small group of security personnel and a few advisors.

But when I exited that train with president zelenskyy -- to the people who were today fighting for the same things we fought for 250 years ago -- freedom, Independence, self-determination.

As I walk through with president zelenskyy, there were sirens sounding in the distance.

I felt something I had always believed more strongly than ever before.

America is a beacon to the world , still.

My friend Madeleine Albright said, the indispensable nation.

Tonight there are innocent people all over the world who have hope because of us, who believe in a better life because of us, who are desperate not to be forgotten by us, and our waiting for us.

But time is of the essence.

I know we have our divisions at home.

We have to get past them.

We cannot let petty, partisan, angry politics get in the way of our responsibilities.

We cannot and will not let terrorists like hamas and tyrants like Putin win.

I refuse to let that happen.

In moments like these, we have to remember who we are.

We are the United States of America.

There is nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together.

My fellow Americans, thank you for your time.

May god bless you all.

May god protect our troops.

Amna: President Biden there delivering an address to the American public from the oval office, weaving together the stories of Israel, Ukraine, and the war being fought.

For analysis, we are joined by our team.

Nick schifrin is here with me in the studio.

Laura barron-lopez is at the white house, and Lisa Desjardins is at capitol hill.

Lisa, I want to begin with you, what you just heard from the president, weaving the two wars together in this way.

What do we know from the white house about why the president wanted to address both those nations and the wars in this way right now and to the American public directly?

Lisa: First I want to acknowledge, as you can probably hear, that there is a small group of protesters just outside the white house Gates, protesting president Biden sitting more aid to Israel and calling for a cease-fire in the conflict.

You may be able to hear that right now.

What I took away is what you said, which is that the president wanted to explain to the American people why these two complex, although they might appear different, that they have some similarities, trying to say that, essentially, hamas and Putin may be different, but they are attacking neighboring democracies, attempting to, he used the words, annihilate neighboring democracies.

We know one of the main priorities have this president is to bring home the fact that any attack on democracies abroad could also reach the home front in the attacks on democracies here and spread well beyond the borders of attacks on Ukraine.

Geoff: Lisa, as you know, president Biden is delivering this address on the eve of his administration sending a funding request to congress.

The topline is somewhere in the area of $100 billion, $60 billion for Ukraine, 40 billion dollars split among Taiwan, Israel, and funding for the U.S. Southern border to help stem the tide of migrants.

How is that expected to land on capitol hill?

Mitch Mcconnell has already expressed support for it, but how is that going to land within the Republican house conference?

Lisa: Speaking to senate sources, there is momentum growing in the senate.

There does seem to be widespread support from Republicans and Democrats.

The house is really a whole other ball of whacks.

Not only are we waiting for a house speaker so anything can move along the house floor, but the house Republican conference falls into three camps.

There was a group of very strong supporters for both of these aid packages.

They say that they think they have momentum, that the chaos in the house Republican conference is actually helping them, because many of those who have been rebels when it comes to the house speaker fights were also skeptical on Ukraine.

Making this a bipartisan cause could help them with both Ukrainian Israel funding.

But the problem, Jeff, as you are saying, are the two other routes of house Republicans, one who say they do not want to spend anymore money on foreign aid, anything that gets close to intervention, in warfare, anything that risks American treasure going into military causes.

There is another group that escaped -- that is skeptical about Ukraine and the specifics of the funding.

I think some of these lines will raise question marks for them, the idea that the line is replacing American stockpiles.

I think there are many embers here paying close attention and saying it is more complicated than that.

They are worried about American stockpiles, but they also have not released enough guarantees that this money has gone to Ukraine battle operations only.

A lot question marks we are going to hear over the next few days.

Amna: Nick, I know you were taking notes furiously.

What struck me was the specificity of his remarks.

He talked about what he saw on the ground in Israel and Ukraine.

These are both wars you are reporting on.

But he set this up as an issue of American national security.

What do you take away from it?

Nick: I think what Lisa and Jeff were talking about is the context, 100 billion dollars a head of an election year is a massive amount of money, especially $60 billion for Ukraine, but what president Biden used his we are the essential nation, the arsenal of democracy.

That is Franklin Delano Roosevelt's call in 1942, fund the allies to take on what ended up being World War II.

Just like Roosevelt, Biden feels the need to rally the nation.

It is interesting because the U.S. Is not fighting either of these wars, but in the president's view, the U.S.

Needs to be and is the only nation that can give Ukraine the amount of money it needs and the weapons it needs, and Israel, to provide that kind of almost top cover, aircraft, -- aircraft carriers off the coast of Israel so that groups do not attack Israel.

This is his version of trying to explain to America how he sees the world and why he thinks the United States remains so important.

By the way, we have to spend $100 billion, and you have to support that.

Geoff: Laura, as president Biden signals America's foreign policy interests and our national security interests being tethered to these two distant wars, what comes after this speech tonight?

How does he continue to press the case both on capitol hill and among the American public?

Laura: Something we know about the president is that when he makes a decision, he usually sticks to it, despite some disagreement within his party, about where some of this aid shall go, or how forceful his support is up Israel?

- - Of Israel.

Some Democrats in congress want to call for cease-fires, but president Biden is going to send this request over to congress, making it clear where he stands, which is that he wants some $10 billion to $14 billion for Israel, some $60 billion for Ukraine, and also going to throw in some border security as well as some humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

That is what comes next, this big push on the hill to try to make sure, despite the fact that there is not a speaker right now , that between now and the end of the year, he gets his big national security request past.

- - Passed.

Amna: Nick, in terms of the immediate future, I then talked about the adversaries and allies all watching how the U.S. Acts in this moment.

He seemed to signal ahead, in terms of on the ground in Israel, that we cannot give up on peace.

Does any of that signal where the administration could go next when it comes to these complex?

- - Conflicts?

Nick: In terms of the middle East, he is trying to keep the Saudi normalization on the table.

The key aspects of that, trying to keep a corridor from the Middle East into Europe and from south Asia.

That seems like a pipe dream right now.

The Middle East is trying to avoid a regional war right now, and that is the context of the west think so present in the mediterranean, trying to avoid that regional war.

He tied that to Europe, if Putin is not stopping Ukraine, he will continue.

That is why he says all these weapons need to go to Ukraine, so Ukraine can stop Putin from expanding.

Geoff: The administration explain how they tend to support Israel, support Ukraine, and also Taiwan with all the rising threat posed by China simultaneously.

Nick: To a certain extent, that is a question for the house and whether they will find anything.

But the military can do this.

There are lots of steps the U.S. Is taking to try and increase artillery production, munitions production.

That is what Ukraine needs.

Separately, Israel needs air defense and some artillery and precision guided missions that you rain -- munitions that Ukraine does not use.

Iran needs a hybrid approach.

- - Taiwan needs a hybrid approach.

On a technical level, the military says it can do that.

There are a lot of challenges when it comes to arm production, so we do not have a huge industrial complex that can produce enough weapons right now , but the fact is those three conflicts actually need different weapons, so that is why the U.S. Officials believe they still can.

Geoff: And the funding is critical.

Nick: Of course, passage of this bill is the beginning.

$60 billion will only get Ukraine through next summer.

Amna: A lot to follow across the world, and back here in Washington.

Thank you to all of our correspondence -- Nick schifrin, Laura Barone Lopez, and Lisa Desjardins.

You can continue to follow our coverage on pbs.org/newshour.

Geoff: Join us tomorrow night on the pbs newshour for the latest coverage.

Thank you for joining us this evening.

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