Jewish leaders and groups largely praised President Joe Biden’s legacy after his announcement on Sunday to end his presidential reelection campaign. 

Mark Mellman, the CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, praised Biden in a statement “for his lifelong support for the U.S.-Israel alliance, and for ensuring the Democratic nominee for President has a strong pro-Israel platform on which to run in November.”

The decision, which brings an abrupt end to Biden’s half-century-long political career, leaves the Democratic Party scrambling to find a nominee to face off against former President Donald Trump. On Sunday, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his preferred successor. “I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden wrote on X. 

Mellman praised the “the Biden-Harris Administration” for their record since Oct. 7 and support for Israel, but did not directly endorse Harris.

Nathan Diament, the executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, also offered praise for Biden’s record on Israel and antisemitism. “I appreciate how ⁦[Biden] by & large stood by Israel & the Jewish community as ⁦[president],” Diament tweeted. “His legacy will include him unabashedly self identifying as a Zionist & lover of Israel even in the most difficult times.” 

The Jewish Federations of North America in a statement called the president a “true friend of the Jewish community & a steadfast supporter of Israel, describing himself as a ‘Zionist in my heart.’” JFNA also noted that Biden’s trip to Israel shortly after the Hamas Oct. 7 attack made him the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Jewish state during wartime. 

The American Jewish Committee called Biden a “lifelong friend of Israel and the Jewish people.”  “AJC, a nonpartisan organization, honors President Biden’s service and wishes him good health and – for the good of our country and our world – wishes him success as he completes his term in office,” the group wrote in a statement. 

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs commended Biden as “an extraordinary president & public servant… From the historic national strategy to counter antisemitism, to his broader leadership to protect democracy and fight hate, we are enormously grateful to him for this unparalleled legacy.”

David Greenfield, CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, echoed that Biden “has been a tremendous supporter of Israel during its time of need.” “Tremendous HaKaras Hatov (thanks) for Biden standing up to the fringe left of his party by proclaiming that he’s a Zionist,” Greenfield tweeted.  

Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the progressive Israel advocacy group J Street, called Biden’s decision a “difficult and selfless decision.” “We’re proud to have endorsed President Biden’s election and re-election campaign and to have supported one of the most consequential presidencies in modern history. Israel could have asked for no more true and dedicated friend in peacetime and in wartime,” Ben-Ami said in a statement.

Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and former national security adviser to then-Sen. Harris expressed her appreciation for Biden’s leadership and also endorsed Harris for president. “For nearly two years, I experienced firsthand what the country has come to know of our vice president – she is a deeply committed and principled public servant who will continue to advance the policy priorities of all Americans, including Jewish Americans, building on the strong record of the Biden-Harris administration,” Soifer said in a statement. 

The Republican Jewish Coalition took the opportunity to condemn the commander-in-chief. 

“No matter who receives the Democratic nomination, they own the disastrous and failed policies of the last 4 years under Joe Biden,” the group tweeted. 

In Israel, several leaders expressed their appreciation for Biden, who is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. (Netanyahu had not commented on Biden’s decision as of Sunday afternoon.) 

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to POTUS Joe Biden for his friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades long career,” Israel’s President Isaac Herzog wrote on X. “As the first US President to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples.” 

Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant wrote on X that Biden’s “steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,” and called the president’s support of Israel “unwavering.” 

Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, the former prime minister, posted a photo of himself with Biden with the caption, “Thank you.”

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren wrote on X: “As President Biden announces that he will not seek reelection, it is important to remember the President’s deep commitment and love for Israel and the Jewish people. The citizens of Israel will always revere President Biden as a true friend, a leader who, even in the face of virulent opposition, defined himself as a Zionist.”