Staff Reports
President Joe Biden is facing accusations of spreading misinformation in his response to the Israel-Hamas war, according to an internal memo from a coalition of State Department staffers. The memo, obtained by Axios, points to Biden’s Oct. 10 speech addressing Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel as an example of the “misinformation” being spread by the president. The memo, organized by a junior State Department employee who previously accused Biden of being “complicit in genocide,” is signed by 100 State Department and United States Agency for International Development employees.
Biden Admin’s Own Staffers Turn On President, Accuse Him Of ‘Spreading Misinformation’: REPORT https://t.co/3Zs3LYwNUn via @DailyCaller
— Chris ?? (@Chris_1791) November 13, 2023
According to Axios, the memo states that “members of the White House and (the National Security Council) displayed a clear disregard for the lives of Palestinians, a documented unwillingness to de-escalate, and, even prior to October 7, a reckless lack of strategic foresight.” The memo suggests that the Biden administration should advocate for the release of hostages held by both Hamas and Israel. The staffers also criticize Biden for questioning the number of Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza and argue that Israel’s actions, such as cutting off electricity and limiting aid to Gaza, constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity under international law.
The memo continues, “Yet we have failed to reassess our posture towards Israel. We doubled down on our unwavering military assistance to the (Israeli government) without clear or actionable redlines.” This is not the first time Biden has faced criticism from within his own party for being too pro-Israel. Another group of State Department staffers criticized him on Nov. 6 and called for a ceasefire. Some Democrats worry that Biden’s support for Israel could cost him the votes of young Democrats.
In response to the memo, a State Department spokesperson said, “We understand — we expect, we appreciate — that different people working in this department have different beliefs about what United States policy should be.” It remains to be seen how Biden will navigate these criticisms and whether they will impact his approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
