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| Home Front: Politix |
| White House Aides "Simply Cannot Stomach" Biden's Israel Policy, Dissent Memos Leak, Revolt At State Dept |
| 2023-11-09 |
| [ZH] A revolt is brewing within the Biden administration over how the White House is handling the Israel-Gaza war, as the civilian death toll and mass Palestinian displacement soars, and as Biden's top officials continue to say "no conditions" have been placed on how Israel uses US-supplied weapons. Pressure from the press pool is also piling on, with near daily spats and antagonistic back-and-forth exchanges on display in the State Department and White House briefing rooms. This week there have emerged reports of scathing 'dissent memos' criticizing White House Israel policy being circulated, collecting many hundreds of signatures chiefly from among State Department and USAID staff. A primary theme of the pushback and pressure is that President Biden must change course on the Gaza crisis. First, on Monday Politico obtained and published portions of a memo issued by State Department personnel giving a blistering critique which according to the publication argued that "among other things, the U.S. should be willing to publicly criticize the Israelis." It was issued after the Biden's Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, repeatedly made clear that the US does not back a ceasefire, but is only sheepishly calling for brief humanitarian 'pauses'. Politico points out the memo represents a "growing loss of confidence" among Biden's corps of diplomats: The message suggests a growing loss of confidence among U.S. diplomats in President Joe Biden’s approach to the Middle East crisis. It reflects the sentiments of many U.S. diplomats, especially at mid-level and lower ranks, according to conversations with several department staffers as well as other reports. If such internal disagreements intensify, it could make it harder for the Biden administration to craft policy toward the region. The memo, marked "sensitive but unclassified' was sure to leak, and that was likely the point. It bluntly underscores that Biden's policy is hurting America's standing in the world as much of global opinion has been appalled at the Gaza death toll which this week surpassed 10,500. The memo sates that the gap between Biden officials' private and public messaging "contributes to regional public perceptions that the United States is a biased and dishonest actor, which at best does not advance, and at worst harms, U.S. interests worldwide." "We must publicly criticize Israel’s violations of international norms such as failure to limit offensive operations to legitimate military targets," the dissent memo continues. "When Israel supports settler violence and illegal land seizures or employs excessive use of force against Palestinians, we must communicate publicly that this goes against our American values so that Israel does not act with impunity." |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #13 Hamas is backed by Qatar not Iran. Read Rantburg’s archives, dear Vortigern Phert8938. Money from Qatar, from Iran more money, training, weapons, and alliances with other client groups. The other client groups of interest at this particular moment being Hezbollah and the Houthis (Ansarullah) in Yemen. Jeez, next you’re going to tell us that Shiite Iran would never, ever ally with Al Qaeda. It doesn’t do to take your lord’s name in vain when you don’t know enough on the subject to challenge your audience. Whether it’s ok when you do is a question better addressed by your mother. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2023-11-09 23:00 |
| #12 Gosh golly gee sounds like...insurrection? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2023-11-09 20:18 |
| #11 Hamas is backed by Qatar not Iran. Jesus, people. It was all fun and games when the deep state defied Trump's leadership. Now they're doing the same thing to Israel's interests and now it's a problem. |
| Posted by: Vortigern Phert8938 2023-11-09 19:50 |
| #10 poor things. |
| Posted by: irish rage boy 2023-11-09 18:38 |
| #9 Israel has agreed to four hour daily pauses in Gaza. That would be for Biden's naps. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-09 16:13 |
| #8 There were very local brief pauses in the European theater to clear the wounded. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2023-11-09 15:47 |
| #7 The news being reported today, is that Israel has agreed to four hour daily pauses in Gaze. Couldn't help thinking about my Uncles who served in WW2 in Europe and the Pacific, and wondering what they would make of this? Sure they wouldn't be happy with this, and seriously question the people in Washington. If the U.S. and allies did this during that war, it would have lasted a lot longer than it did. |
| Posted by: Delphi 2023-11-09 14:47 |
| #6 ...Y'know, the Very Best People(TM) told me during the Trump Administration that when the staff vehemently disagreed with the President, that meant the President must be wrong and therefore must resign. Not holding my breath of course, just sayin'. Mike |
| Posted by: MikeKozlowski 2023-11-09 14:30 |
| #5 Oh, no! Not "scathing memos"! We must end this war now!!! |
| Posted by: Tom 2023-11-09 14:13 |
| #4 Maybe all these people will feel better if they work for UN and not USA? |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-11-09 13:38 |
| #3 They ignored Trump on Syria and they will just ignore Biden on Gaza. The Obamites run American Policy. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2023-11-09 13:35 |
| #2 Gazans are just 'useful idiots' of the Iranian mullahs. The incredibly vicious initial attacks were to make sure Israel had no choice but to do what it is doing. In the process it will divide the West to the point it will not be able to come to the aid of Israel once the pan-Islam assaults begin. And that would mean (I think) the end of Israel - and quite possible the nuclear destruction of much of Iran. Next question is whether Iran itself is the useful idiot of China... |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2023-11-09 13:29 |
| #1 Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, repeatedly made clear that the US does not back a ceasefire, but is only sheepishly calling for brief humanitarian 'pauses'. Would those be Biden's pee breaks? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-09 13:28 |