(LibertySons.org) – Reports claim at least 100 State Department employees signed an internal memo that accused President Joe Biden of spreading “misinformation” in his October 10 speech on the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. The dissent memo also accused the administration of ignoring likely instances of Israeli violations of international law and crimes against humanity.
Dissent memos are a time-honored tradition in the State Department, allowing diplomats and employees to voice concerns over administration policies or stances without fear of reprisal. Typically, dissent memos remain confidential within the department. However, reports indicate someone leaked one version of the draft memo to media outlets.
The contents and the number of signatories indicate a growing rift in policy opinions between State Department diplomats, the White House, and National Security Council advisors. The draft that POLITICO obtained harshly criticized the Biden administration for its biased handling of the situation thus far and presented two critical appeals to leaders: strongly encourage Israel to implement a ceasefire and use a more fair and balanced approach in the media messaging the administration uses with Israel.
Both Israel and the Biden administration have resisted calls for a ceasefire, and Netanyahu has also rejected pauses for humanitarian purposes until recently. However, the Health Ministry in Gaza has reported more than 11,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, many of them civilians caught in the crossfire.
State Department diplomats also argued that supporting Israel unconditionally when Netanyahu has deprived West Bank civilians of food, power, medicine, and water while refusing to allow people to leave has weakened the US position. Instead, they argued we should privately and publicly hold Israel to the same humanitarian and international law standards as Russia, China, or North Korea. Doing anything less makes the US look dishonest and hypocritical, they said.
When asked about dissent memos, State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller explained that people with diverse opinions, experiences, and viewpoints strengthen the department. “We encourage them to make their opinions known,” he added.
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