Biden begins ‘fourth and last’ speech at UNGA
The 81-year-old president of the United States began his address by pointing to his sweeping political career, which began in the throws of the Cold War, the war in Vietnam and the rising tensions in the Middle East.
Joe Biden quickly made clear he was speaking to a domestic audience.
“Our country was divided and angry, there were questions about our staying power and our future, but even then … not out of despair, but out of optimism, United States and the world got through that moment,” he said, referring to his earliest days in politics.
“Things can get better. We should never forget that. I’ve seen that throughout my career,” the president added.
Biden address reminiscent of election stump speech
Joe Biden kicked off his speech by defending how his administration conducted the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan – a major cudgel used by Republicans against the president and the Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It was a hard decision, but the right decision. Four American presidents had faced that, but I was determined not to leave it to the fifth,” Biden said.
He then turned to his efforts to rebuild US multilateralism – another implicit response to the upcoming US election and more isolationist approach of Harris’s Republican rival, former President Donald Trump.
Biden entered office “determined to rebuild my country’s alliance and partnerships to a level not previously seen”, he said. “We did just that, from traditional treaty alliances to new partnerships,” he added. “Our test is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those are pulling us apart.”
Ukraine and China get top billing in Biden speech
The US president continued his speech, vowing to maintain support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
“The good news is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war has failed at its core aim,” Biden said. “He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free. He set out to weaken NATO, but NATO is bigger, stronger, more united than ever before.”
On China, he said the US needs to “uphold our principles as we seek to responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict”.
The order of subjects underscores what have been the top priorities of the Biden administration.
Biden says Israel maintains right to war, while calling for de-escalation
The US president began his discussion of the Middle East with a defence of Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Any country, any country, would have the right responsibility to ensure that such an attack could never happen again,” Biden said, referring to the October 7 attacks on southern Israel. “They’re going through hell,” Biden said, referring to the families of captives held in Gaza.
He then added: “Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell. Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers. Too many families dislocated, crowded in a tent, facing a dire situation. They didn’t ask for this war.”
Biden also said he’s “determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region”, and called on Israel and Hamas to a accept a ceasefire deal introduced by the United States in May.
The speech comes at a time when the US’s unwillingness to use leverage against its staunch ally Israel has again come into starker focus, with critics saying calls for de-escalation remain hollow as Washington continues to fuel Israeli actions with weapons transfers.
Right to war? To ensure it never happens again, stop the occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing in the region. It will happen again if you let Netanyahu and the right wing Settler cabinet keep doing whatever they want.
You are making sure that such an attack will happen again.
And Hamas has accepted your ceasefire deal back in May, you just don't have the balls to make Netanyahu accept it as well.
Fuck Biden, worst president when it comes to foreign policy. He's nothing but a war criminal, funding and backing genocide.
‘Some things are more important than staying in power’: Biden finishes speech
US President Joe Biden finished his address by touching on several issues before reiterating his motivation for dropping out of the US presidential race. Here’s what he said:
- Biden decried the rise of attacks in Israeli-occupied territories: “[We] must also address the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank and set the conditions for a better future, including a two-state solution.”
- He called for an end to fighting in Sudan a day after naming the United Arab Emirates – which has been accused of fueling Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks with illegal weapons transfers – a “major defence partner”.
- The US president said world leaders must do more to invest in sustainable development goals, cut greenhouse emissions, prepare for pandemics, stop the illegal flow of weapons, and monitor the effects of artificial intelligence.
- Biden reiterated that the US supports reforming and expanding the UN Security Council. The United States, however, does not support adding more veto members, such as itself.
- He ended by discussing his decision not to run for re-election, which he announced in July. “My fellow leaders, let us never forget some things are more important than staying in power – it’s your people,” he said.
That last remark would be a dig at Netanyahu. Just say it outright Biden. Netanyahu doesn't have your back anyway.
