White House employees to stage walkout over Biden 'Israel' policies
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Feds United for Peace group is set to stage a walkout in protest of the policies of US President Joe Biden regarding the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
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Demonstrators work on a sign reading 'Save Gaza' along a temporary fence outside of the White House ahead of the March on Washington for Gaza on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Washington, USA. (AP)
In a rare show of dissent, US federal employees from nearly 22 agencies are planning a walkout to protest the Biden administration's handling of the war on Gaza. Organized by the so-called Feds United for Peace group, dozens of government employees, choosing to remain anonymous, will observe a "Day of Mourning" to mark 100 days of the Israeli genocidal war against occupied Palestine's Gaza Strip.
According to Al-Monitor, the walkout is expected to draw participants from key agencies, including the Executive Office of the President, the National Security Agency, and the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. Other agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Park Service, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency, are also anticipated to join the protest, the report noted.
This protest reflects growing frustration among US officials over US President Joe Biden's administration and its reluctance to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Internal disagreements over the administration's policy on Gaza have surfaced, with officials expressing concerns through channels like the State Department's private "dissent channel", which dates back to the Vietnam War, explained Al-Monitor. This internal strife has also been highlighted through anonymous open letters, public resignations, and warnings about potential voter backlash against President Biden.
Despite these efforts, emphasized the Al-Monitor report, the administration's decision to continue weapons transfers to "Israel" without congressional approval and the unequivocal support of Washington to "Tel Aviv" amid an ongoing genocide made some officials feel unheard.
It is important to note that so far, two US officials, including one from the US State Department overseeing arms transfers, have publicly resigned in protest.
One walkout organizer said this action was a "moral obligation and patriotic duty" to influence change from within, reported Al-Monitor, adding that the administration has attempted to address internal frustrations through listening sessions and updates, but the organizers believe their concerns remain unaddressed. The walkout signifies an unusual manifestation of dissent through a physical act, emphasizing the gravity of the internal discontent over the administration's Gaza policy.
Ex-White House interns, protesters urge Biden to demand Gaza ceasefire
Numerous former White House interns wrote an open letter to US President Joe Biden, earlier in January, urging his administration to support a quick ceasefire in Gaza.
According to The Guardian, the signatories, who include interns who worked in the White House and executive office of the president between 2022 and the summer of 2023, accused the President of "betraying" his vow to achieve equality and justice by backing "Israel's" war on Gaza.
The letter read that Biden calls on the young to “lead through the world’s most pressing challenges” but detailed how “our voices are ignored as our generation speaks in solidarity with the majority of Americans and the world, underscoring the contrast between the values we embraced together and the actions we now witness.”
Joe Biden exhibited unprecedented support for "Israel" in the aftermath of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. However, over two months later, tensions between the White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have escalated, particularly due to extensive Israeli airstrikes in Gaza which have resulted in over 23,084 Palestinian martyrs, in addition to 58,926 injuries, since October 7, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The letter details the "dissatisfaction" with Biden's actions that reverberates through young people in the US, many of whom were "credited as instrumental in securing your 2020 victory."
It also urged the administration to take "concrete steps" to end the apartheid in Palestine and the ethnic cleansing ongoing in Gaza by calling for a ceasefire, ending unconditional aid to the occupation, releasing captives and Palestinian prisoners, and, most importantly, labeling "Israel's" actions as war crimes.
"Anything less than these measures undermines the justice we collectively aspired to achieve."
