Fact Check: Did Joe Biden say he was born in Israel? Viral video claim debunked 

A viral video of American President Joe Biden allegedly saying he was born in Israel is going viral on social media platforms. The video in question is a clip from Biden’s speech during his recent visit to Isreal, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While expressing support for Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas militants in Palestine, President Joe remarked,

“The State of Israel was born to be a safe place for the Jewish people of the world. That’s why it was born.”

However, many users online have misconstrued President Biden’s remarks, claiming that he instead said, ‘That’s where I was born.’

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White House transcript for President Joe Biden’s remarks makes it clear that he didn't say he was born in Israel

A look at the official White House transcript of President Joe Biden’s remarks in Tel Aviv reveals that he said, “That’s why it was born,” referring to the state of Israel.

Some accounts on X (formerly Twitter) have falsely said that the US President claimed he was born in Israel. President Biden was actually born in Pennsylvania, in the US.

The US President reiterated, "If Israel didn’t exist, we would have to invent it,” a point he first made in 1986 during a US Senate Session.

During the press briefing on October 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv, the US President backed Israel’s denial of responsibility for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza City. Hamas has blamed Israel for the explosion, claiming that the blast killed hundreds of people, but no death toll has been verified, and images of the hospital in daylight indicate that it was not leveled.

In response to reporters asking how President Joe was sure that Israelis weren’t behind the hospital strike, he said it was based on the data the US Defense Department showed him.

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President Joe Biden visited Israel for a few hours on October 18 in a show of US solidarity

“I come to Israel with a single message—you’re not alone,” said the US President, remarking that the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the holocaust, has resurfaced painful scars for the community. He also met with Israeli first responders and families of the victims while expressing his continued support for Israel.

Moreover, Americans are among those still missing in the conflict, with some believed to be held captive by Hamas.

Seated alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Joe said that the US will provide for Israel’s defense in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

He also sought to distinguish Hamas from the Palestinian people, saying, "We have to also bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people and has brought them only suffering.”