Over 400 US officials sign letter against Biden's 'Israel' policy
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The signatories, who represent over forty federal institutions, are a reflection of rising dissatisfaction inside the administration over its backing of "Israel's" military aggression in Gaza.
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US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet with Israelis on October 18, 2023, in "Tel Aviv". (AP)
In a letter to President Biden on Tuesday, more than 400 political appointees and employees from over 40 government departments expressed their disapproval of his blind support for "Israel" and its war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
The letter urges Biden to push for a ceasefire and pressure "Israel" to allow humanitarian aid and is part of a larger campaign of dissatisfaction with Biden's support for the occupation.
Previously, an open letter was signed by over a thousand employees of the US Agency for International Development, in addition to three internal memos addressed to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, signed by numerous State Department employees.
The USAID letter clarifies that the signatories are anonymous because of "concern for our personal safety and risk of potentially losing our jobs" and is the same as the one that was sent in on Tuesday. The identities of persons who signed the State Department dissent cables must be made public, but those cables have not been released publicly.
The New York Times reviewed the letter, which began by denouncing Hamas and urged Biden to "urgently demand a cease-fire; and to call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians; the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services; and the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip."
Many who signed are political appointees ranging from the National Security Council, the FBI, and the Justice Department, according to two political appointees who assisted in organizing the letter to Biden.
The letter details that “the overwhelming majority of Americans support a cease-fire” and do not wish to see their military "drawn into another costly and senseless war in the Middle East."
Some who helped organize the letter accused Biden of shifting his policy from representing American voters to dismissing many concerns of theirs and other political appointees.
Although many older individuals have also signed dissident letters, according to persons who have gathered signatures, the authorities stated that the criticism over Gaza represents a generational difference and is primarily from personnel in their 20s and 30s.
This comes as the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a complaint in federal court in California, on behalf of several Palestinian groups and individuals, aiming to sue US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for failing their legal obligations to prevent a developing genocide committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip.
US State Dept memo demand ceasefire in Gaza, change in ‘Israel’ policy
On Monday, a State Department dissent memo accused US President Joe Biden of "spreading misinformation" on the war on Gaza and acknowledged that "Israel" is committing "war crimes" in the Strip, as per a copy of the memo obtained by Axios.
The memo, organized by a junior diplomat who has previously indicated on social media that President Biden's support for "Israel" implicates him in genocide in Gaza, reveals significant internal divisions within the Biden administration regarding the war on Gaza.
Signed by 100 US personnel, the memo calls on senior US officials to reconsider their policy toward "Israel" and push for a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed including over 4,500 children due to the brutal Israeli aggression, as per the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Primarily, the memo's writers center on the aggressive actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Gazans. As Biden barely expressed worries about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza while vowing unwavering support for Gaza, the memo contends that Biden should intensify his scrutiny of Israeli actions.
Biden warned by US diplomats of disdain toward US in Arab world
Days ago, a diplomatic cable obtained by CNN revealed harsh warnings from US diplomats in the Arab world to the Biden administration that its unconditional support for "Israel's" war on Gaza "is losing us Arab publics for a generation."
The cable from the US Embassy in Oman cited conversations with "a wide range of trusted and sober-minded contacts," saying, "We are losing badly on the messaging battlespace."
The American support is being regarded "as material and moral culpability in what they consider to be possible war crimes."
The cable, which was written by the second-highest US official in Muscat, was sent to the White House’s National Security Council, the CIA, and the FBI.
Another cable from the US embassy in Cairo revealed to Washington the commentary in a state-run Egyptian newspaper that "President Biden’s cruelty and disregard for Palestinians exceeded all previous US presidents."
In late October, Muslim Americans and certain Democratic Party supporters expressed their intent to mobilize millions of Muslim voters and refrain from contributing donations or votes toward President Joe Biden's 2024 reelection unless he promptly acts to facilitate a Gaza ceasefire.
