VICTOR JOECKS: Why Biden keeps talking about Islamophobia

Hamas terrorists slaughtering hundreds of Jews has made Democrats concerned about Islamophobia. That sounds like a Babylon Bee headline, but it’s not.

President Joe Biden has made a number of strong statements condemning antisemitism. They’re often followed by warnings to avoid “Islamophobia.”

“We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism,” he tweeted on Wednesday. In the very next line he wrote, “We must, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia.”

He’s not the only one. Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X recently, “Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hate of any kind must be condemned unequivocally.”

In a remarkable exchange Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked if there was any concern about increasing antisemitism. Muslims, she responded, “have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks.” The response was so tone-deaf that she later claimed to have misheard the question. Doubtful.

Regardless, there’s a pattern of Democrats linking antisemitism and Islamophobia. The left doesn’t do this in other tragedies. For instance, on Friday, Biden released a statement about Thursday’s mass shooting in Maine. He expressed sympathy for the victims but offered no call to respect the 75 million law-abiding gun owners. Instead, he used the tragedy to demand Republicans pass more gun control.

Here’s the difference. Democrats despise law-abiding gun owners. A large majority of Democrats want to ban some firearms. But Democrats are much more sympathetic to members of their coalition who support Hamas terrorists. Some Democrats, such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar, barely try to hide their support of Hamas. Others, such as Biden and Harris, understand they must appeal to that faction while also supporting Israel. Hence, the double-talk.

This is wrong and dangerous. First, it brings confusion instead of clarity. Linking these two things suggests both are equal threats — both domestically and in the Middle East.

That’s not true. After Hamas’ murderous rampage, rallies throughout the United States and the world openly cheered the terror group. Students and faculty at elite colleges blamed Israel. At a recent rally at MIT, hundreds of students chanted “one solution, intifada.” Intifada is a call for violent attacks on Israelis.

There is no comparable effort to demonize Muslims. All Democrats can point to are horrific, but isolated, instances, such as an Illinois landlord allegedly murdering a 6-year-old and stabbing his mother over their Muslim faith.

The opacity opens the door to moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel. Most Democrats acknowledge Hamas’ hideousness. But warnings of “Islamophobia” imply Israel and its supporters have done or are preparing to do something just as evil. Biden reinforced this when he said, “I cautioned the government of Israel not to be blinded by rage” and talks about protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip.

His insinuation is that Israel’s military would commit war crimes if the United States didn’t hold it back. He’s undermining a U.S. ally that’s fighting a terrorist group that uses civilians as human shields. The moral responsibility for deaths in the Gaza Strip lies with Hamas.

Biden’s both-sides rhetoric is de facto wink of approval to members of his intersectional coalition that say Israel is responsible for Hamas’ terrorism. Critical race theory adherents blame Israel, the supposed oppressor, for Hamas, the supposed oppressed, butchering Israeli babies. Calls for “decolonization” run along the same lines. This dangerous line of thinking is ubiquitous in public education. No wonder nearly half of young adults side with Hamas over Israel. That’s a crisis in the making.

Those, like Biden, who link antisemitism and Islamophobia aren’t necessarily antisemitic. But they’re emboldening those who are.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.