In his address, Biden noted his long history in public office, dating back to the period of the Vietnam War, and stated that his decision to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan in 2021 was the "right decision."
Addressing the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, Biden stated, "The world must not flinch from the horrors of October 7."
"Any country would have the right and responsibility to ensure that such an attack can never happen again," he said. "Thousands of armed Hamas terrorists invaded a sovereign state, slaughtering and massacring more than 1,200 people, including 46 Americans, in their homes, and at a music festival."
Biden noted the "despicable acts of sexual violence" that were committed by Hamas terrorists during the massacre and the "250 innocents taken hostage."
He said that the hostages and their families are "going through hell," but that "innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell."
"Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers," Biden lamented, as well as there being "too many families dislocated, crowding into tents."
According to Biden, the people of Gaza "didn't ask for this war that Hamas started," calling for both sides to "finalize the terms" of a ceasefire and hostage deal to "bring the hostages home and security for Israel and Gaza free from Hamas' grip, ease the suffering in Gaza, and end this war."
Turning to the current escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist organization, Biden said, “Since October 7, we’ve also been determined to prevent a wider war than engulfs the entire region." Israel National News - Arutz Sheva
He noted that "Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the October 7 attack, launching rockets into Israel. Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israel-Lebanon border remain displaced. Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest."
"Even if the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said. "In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents of both countries to return to their homes on the border safety, and that's what we're working tirelessly to achieve."
At the end of the section of his speech on the Middle East conflict, Biden mentioned the "violence against innocent Palestinians in the West Bank" without mentioning the more common terrorism and violence against Jews and the necessity to "set the conditions for the future, including a two-state solution."
He said that "progress towards peace will put us in a stronger position to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Iran. Together, we must deny oxegyn to its terrorist proxies, which have called for more October 7s, and ensure that Iran will never, ever, obtain a nuclear weapon."