President Joe Biden called on Americans on Thursday (Oct 19) to stand behind Israel and Ukraine, making the case in a prime-time address that providing military and economic aid to the countries is in the interest of global stability and national security.

The 15-minute speech, only his second delivered from the Oval Office, shifted between two very different global conflicts as the president sought to connect the dots for Americans who are watching wars unfold half a world away. Ukraine and Israel, he said, both face threats of annihilation by tyrants and terrorists.

“History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction,” Biden said. “They keep going. And the cost and the threats to America and the world keep rising.”

The president delivered the speech as his administration braces for opposition to his request for US$74 billion in assistance for the two countries. The money would pay for weapons and other military equipment as Israel responds to the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas and Ukraine fights on in its 600-day war to expel Russian invaders.

The president’s efforts to build support for a major projection of American influence abroad come against the backdrop of a deeply fractured population at home, political dysfunction in Congress, economic uncertainty and the possibility of an election-year rematch against a former president facing multiple criminal indictments.

On Thursday, Biden described his request for aid as “a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations.” But he faces skepticism among members of both parties: progressive Democrats who oppose sending arms to Israel and conservative Republicans who have questioned the need to add to the more than US$100 billion in aid already sent to Ukraine.

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The president’s request arrives at Capitol Hill at a time of turmoil among House Republicans, who have failed for 16 days to pick a speaker. The political paralysis has left lawmakers unable to act on legislation, including new aid for either Ukraine or Israel. NYTIMES