‘We stand with Israel,’ Biden says in Oval Office address

President Biden addressed the nation on Thursday night regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The president argued that providing financial and humanitarian aid to Israel is essential to maintaining national security.

He plans on making “an urgent budget request” with Congress to provide support in both Israel and Ukraine. He warned Americans of the dangers of hate and expressed sorrow at the “heartbreaking” loss of innocent lives.

Biden’s Oval Office address transcript is available via The White House website.

Key quotes from Biden’s Thursday night address

1. ‘We stand with Israel’

“So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack.

“There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse.”

2. ‘An urgent budget request’

“American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us in America safe. American values are what make us a partner nation you want to work with,” Biden said, adding, “To put all that at risk – we walk away from Ukraine, we turn our backs on Israel – it’s just not worth it.

“That’s why tomorrow I’m going to send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund America’s national security needs – needs to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine. It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations.”

3. ‘Our response would be swift, decisive, and overwhelming’

“I just got off the phone with — the third call with Prime Minister Netanyahu. And I told him if the United States experienced what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive and overwhelming,” President Biden said.

“My team has been in near constant communication with our Israeli partners and partners all across the region and the world from the moment this crisis began.

“We’re surging additional military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome. We’re going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens.”

4. ‘No higher priority than the safety of Americans’

“I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise the Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts, because as president I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world,” the president said in his remarks.

5. ‘There is no place for hate in America’

“This is a moment for the United States to come together, to grieve with those who are mourning,” said Biden.

“Let’s be real clear: There is no place for hate in America — not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody. We reject — we reject — what we reject is terrorism. We condemn the indiscriminate evil, just as we’ve always done.

“That’s what America stands for.”