WASHINGTON (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - President Biden, in his address to the nation Thursday night, referred to the young Palestinian-American boy from Plainfield who was killed in an apparent hate crime.
In addition to announcing a $105 billion proposal to provide aid across the globe, President Biden mentioned the Plainfield boy Wadea Al-Fayoume. The 6-year-old was killed last weekend in an apparent hate crime .
“A mother was brutally stabbed. A little boy, here in the United States, a little boy who just turned 6-years-old, was murdered in their home outside Chicago. His name was Wadea, a proud American, a proud Palestinian-American,” Biden said.
The president warned of the rise in Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism.
“In moments like these, when fear and suspicion, anger and rage run hard, we have to work harder than ever to hold onto the values that make us who we are,” Biden added. “To all you hurting, I want you to know I see you. You belong. And I want to say this to you. You're all Americans.”
The White House said that after his speech, the president and first lady Jill Biden spoke over the phone with Wadea’s father and uncle to express their “deepest condolences" and share their prayers for the recovery of the boy's mother, who was also stabbed.
The foreign aid package would go to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan as well as for efforts at the U.S-Mexico border.
There will be resistance from some on the other side of the political spectrum when it comes to military assistance for Israel, which has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
Critics have accused Israel of indiscriminately killing civilians and committing war crimes by cutting off essential supplies including food, water and fuel.
Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country's decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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