The State Department’s internal dissent memo alleges that President Biden is spreading misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war and accuses Israel of committing war crimes. The memo, signed by 100 State Department and USAID employees, claims that Biden’s support for Israel makes him “complicit in genocide” following Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack. The memo does not provide specific examples of the alleged misinformation. It recommends the U.S. government advocate for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during the attack and criticizes Israel’s actions, including cutting off electricity and limiting aid, stating they constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law.
The White House has not responded to the memo, and State Department spokesman Matthew Miller addressed the dissent, emphasizing the department’s diversity of views and encouraging feedback. The memo also criticizes Biden for questioning the number of deaths in Gaza, though statistics from the Hamas-run Health Ministry are known to be unreliable.
Axios reported that the memo reflects sentiments expressed by progressive activists in the U.S., creating a new challenge for Biden’s 2024 campaign. The letter also criticizes U.S. policy in the Middle East, citing a failure to advance a viable path to a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, an issue Biden claims to support.
While dissent memos are supposed to stay internal, they are occasionally leaked to the media. The State Department stated it is proud of its established procedure for employees to articulate policy disagreements without fear of retribution. Different beliefs within the department about U.S. policy are acknowledged, and the department referred to Monday’s briefing response when asked for comment.
BREAKING: An internal State Department dissent memo accuses President Biden of “spreading misinformation” on the Israel-Hamas war and alleges that Israel is committing “war crimes” in Gaza, Axios reports pic.twitter.com/tfTqUf4e4w
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 13, 2023
