What is your takeaway from his address well Dwight uh as we were talking before I think uh you know he he clearly was talking to the American people he was laying out a list of all the reasons why it’s a good thing it’s a good idea to uh
To support these countries to support Ukraine to support Israel and and to support others as well who in his words were fighting for democracy um you know in very practical ways he was saying look if we support these countries uh in fighting these wars then we don’t have
To put US soldiers In Harm’s Way as he put it uh so no American involvement in far off Wars if we can basically get somebody else to do the fighting uh for instance he said sure we’re sending a lot of weapons a lot of uh a lot of uh
Equipment overseas but you know what we’re sending old stuff and we’re going to get new stuff to replace it and all of that is going to be produced in the United States so that’s going to mean jobs here and uh and and and production here so he’s giving very very practical
Reasons why uh the United States should be involved he does give General reasons as well much loftier reasons that democracy needs to be protected that you can’t let uh forces such as Hamas or uh or Putin who he keeps talking about uh sort of move in and take over Democratic
Neighbors but uh but at the end of the day I think the White House decided that it was going to be these practical arguments that were going to get through and uh when people look at the cost of sending things uh we’re hearing a 100
Billion is going to be in that bill he’s going to send to Congress and that’s going to go mostly to Ukraine but also to Israel to uh uh other parts of the world Taiwan as well that these are are actually investments in not only in democracy but in keeping the United
States safe and maybe even in making it a little bit more prosperous yeah I think that is lost on a lot of people not understanding that a lot of these weapons are made in the US and American manufacturers are making money here what do you think then Sasha was Biden’s
Incentive for delivering this address right now well obviously from a practical perspective uh I I think there is a sense of urgency uh in Israel clearly uh he’s made promises that uh the United States is going to support Israel and whatever it does we’re hearing Israel is getting ready for a
Major ground offensive for an invasion of Gaza so they’re going to need weapons from the United States and uh we know that uh that that us cargo planes are landing in Israel uh practically daily now with all kinds of equipment um and in Ukraine as well uh you know it since
The spotlight moved from Ukraine to Israel in the world media um I think there is a feeling in Ukraine that perhaps it’s going to be abandoned uh that was the other message that uh that that Biden had that it wasn’t going to be abandoned so he’s laying all of this
Out and he’s basically saying we’re about to send a request for money to Congress of course Congress may or may not be able to actually act on it depending on whether the House of Representatives has enough uh leadership yes that’s what I want to ask you next next what does the mess
That’s going on and we spoke a little bit about this earlier that’s happening in the US right now do do you think this this uh Speech maybe tonight was also from members of Congress to listen and said hey we we need to fix this to get
This Aid out the door yeah I think I think it definitely was although I’ve been listening to uh to uh to representatives in the US Congress all day and every one of them talks about everyone that I’ve heard talks about how it’s important to get back to work
Because we have important things to do such as helping Israel so I think there is an awareness there but uh but but but they have some obviously some uh very practical things that they need to fix yes I agree with you though that that this message was meant to really all
Levels of us Society uh both the elected and the electors I hate putting you on the spot like this Sasha but what did you think of the speech was it a good speech do you think people will be moved by what they heard from their president tonight uh I it wasn’t especially
Emotional uh he tried to make it more emotional he tried to make it personal as you said very practical yes I think it was more practical and and uh and I think he was also trying to uh to to deal with some domestic issues along the way there too basically warning people
Against anti-Semitism uh islamophobia um not to get caught up in that as well so those were the Practical sides as well it was a bit of a shock shopping list I think of of of you know if if if this doesn’t convince you then that might convince you and there are
Different reasons why we should be doing this but regardless you should be supporting it really appreciate you joining us tonight Sasha P Sasha Pik from our Newsroom thank you Sasha my pleasure Dwight all right let’s unpack this now with jonice Stein the founding director of the monk School of global
Affairs and public policy at the University of Toronto she was with us earlier before the speech so Janice is back and thank you for being here let’s start with your reaction what you just heard from President Biden do you think he made a good case for support for
Israel and ukine J you know what I I heard the conversation you were having with Sasha I think there was a strong emotional component there um it was very interesting the emphasis first of all that he placed on humanitarian Aid um to Palestinians living in Gaza
He separated out and rightly in my view the Palestinian people from Hamas he talked about what the horrific killing stabbing of this young Palestinian American citizen and unmistakably said not only is anti-Semitism aant um but islamophobia is upor now why does all this matter yes uh of course it matters
In the United States but it also matters in all those Middle Eastern countries um which will will hear a form of this speech and I think this was Joe Biden’s way up saying My Embrace of Israel in reaction to those atrocious Hamas attacks does not mean um that I
Don’t hear you and he literally used those words I hear you I think there was an important emotional Dimension here yeah and he spoke about the Israeli American sorry not the Israeli American the Palestinian American child that that was attacked and killed you know he also invoked Janice you know he talked about
The formation of NATO and how it kept peace in Europe for all these decades now when he talks about this you know what’s going on on the planet right now maybe as an existential threat to peace on our planet is he overplaying that is that hyperbole or is that really what’s
Happening Here on our planet right now no I don’t and sadly um Dwight I don’t think it’s hyperbole because we really are seeing the disintegration of norms you know of Institutions that were built after World War II that are frankly fraying literally before our eyes uh
Russia broke every one of those when it invaded Ukraine it was an outrate war of aggression that’s what it was it was an unprovoked assault frankly on Ukraine uh the Hamas attack um the nature of it the attack against civilians violates every um Norm that we have uh with
Respect to the laws of war he not the president is not wrong these are perilous days and he is trying to Rally two really important groups first of all the American public secondly as you and Sasha both said an entirely dysfunctional Congress I was in Washington today oh no the yeah the
House is paralyzed I was you know just literally a block away from it and it is locked in in an argument and the best they can come up with right now frankly practically speaking is they are just going to empower an interim speaker because they can’t elect a speaker this
Is the great democracy of the world that cannot elect a speaker in its own house so that was the message or it was in many ways a sophisticated message if we are dysfunctional at home how do we lead abroad in a moment in the world which has never needed American
Leadership more yeah I think it was a really good speech and I think you’re right on that point people are looking to America for leadership and and they’re not getting that but they got some of that from uh President Biden tonight uh Janice as time goes on I how
Do you think the the perception here and and the support could evolve because you said he did a good job tonight trying to convince Americans that this is important not only to America but to the world how do you think this is going to evolve how do you see it playing out you
Know there this is a a job um in many ways this is the most important job a president has uh we call it the bully pulpit but what it really means is that you bring the public with you you know there’s War fatigue the war in Ukraine
Has been going on well actually a a short time when you think about World War II absolutely uh or but but but you know the patience of the public I was our attention spans have shortened since that time Janice considerably that’s right there’s not a lot of strategic
Patience uh if in fact a ground invasion of Gaza happens which I think is overwhelmingly like it’s not going to be a week it’s not two it who knows there was a 50-day war last time there was a ground Invasion um and this one has the potential to escalate in many
Unforeseeable ways this this is not short so his job is to keep the American public with him in as we approach an election year fractur Congress his job his most important job right now is to Rally the American public to stay the course and to send a
Message to Russia to China to Iran um to others that are looking at the United States if I could take just one second here Dwight I let you have okay one of the things we know um is that there were intercepts of discussions um among Iran leaders of
Hisbah and others saying this is a moment of weakness in Israel all right because of the divisions over for uh the the judicial coup so they M protest yeah and the mass protest in the street this this is a moment of opportunity there is an argument here that Biden is making to
The world here too yes we are having um issues internal issues but don’t mistake who we are we are committed uh we will stay the course and that’s what he’s asking the American public to do Jan an important message it really is Janice she is the founding
Director of the monk School of global Affairs and public policy at the University of Toronto and we’re so glad she was able to join us before and after the speech to break it down thank you Janice pleasure to be with you Dwight
U.S. President Joe Biden declared that it is ‘vital for America’s national security’ for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case for deepening U.S. involvement as he prepared to ask for billions of dollars in aid for both countries.
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