President Joe Biden will speak out against antisemitism at a Holocaust memorial ceremony Tuesday, as tensions remain high over nationwide campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza.
The speech at the Capitol comes after Biden finally addressed the demonstrations last week, following days of silence that drew criticism from both Republicans and his fellow Democrats in an election year.
It also comes as the president warns Israel against invading the crowded Gazan city of Rafah, while pushing for a ceasefire with Hamas – which said Monday it had accepted a deal for a truce and hostage release.
In his keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual Days of Remembrance ceremony in the Capitol, Biden will "recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter," the White House said Monday.
"He will speak to the horrors of Oct. 7 when Hamas unleashed the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
"And he will speak to how since Oct. 7, we've seen an alarming rise in antisemitism in the U.S. – in our cities, our communities and on our campuses."
Jewish students have reported an increase in antisemitism since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and Israel's president said last week that U.S. campuses were "contaminated" by hatred.
Those comments came as protesters – including many Jewish students critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians – stage recurring protests against the country's ongoing war in Gaza.
Biden "will reaffirm that we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech," Jean-Pierre said, while at the same time making clear "there is no place on any campus or anywhere for anti-Semitism."
"There is no place for hate speech or threats of violence against the Jewish people."
Protesters have said they reject alleged antisemetic incidents and have criticized the lack of attention given to alleged harassment of Muslim and Palestinian students.