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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-state-dept-memo-demand-ceasefire-in-gaza--change-in--isra">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">US State Dept memo demand ceasefire in Gaza, change in ‘Israel’ policy</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English - November 13, 2023<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>A
memo organized by a US diplomat reveals staggering internal divisions
within the Biden administration regarding the war on Gaza, Axios
reported.</p><img src="cid:ii_lox5p0v50" alt="62673989-cf0d-4f58-9404-431de937cb0a.jpg" width="435" height="338"><br><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>Families in Gaza trying to find refuge following an Israeli airstrike, October 9, 2023 (<em>AFP</em>)
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<p>A State Department dissent memo accused <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/youth-could-shy-away-from-biden-in-election-over-handling-of" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US President Joe Biden</a>
of "spreading misinformation" on the war on Gaza and acknowledged that
"Israel" is committing "war crimes" in the Strip, as per a copy of the
memo obtained by <em>Axios</em>.</p>
<p>The memo, organized by a junior diplomat who has previously indicated
on social media that President Biden's support for "Israel" implicates
him in genocide in Gaza, reveals significant internal divisions within
the Biden administration regarding <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/palestine-sharply-polarizes-american-public--axios" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the war on Gaza</a>.</p>
<p>Signed by 100 US personnel, the memo calls on senior US officials to
reconsider their policy toward "Israel" and push for a ceasefire in
Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed including
over 4,500 children due to the brutal Israeli aggression, as per the
Palestinian Health Ministry.</p>
<div><p>The sentiment expressed in the memo aligns with that of
progressive activists in the US, whose dissatisfaction and
demonstrations against Biden's management of the war on Gaza have
reverberated within the Democratic Party, presenting a fresh obstacle
for the president's 2024 campaign.</p><p> Furthermore, the memo asserted
that Biden is guilty of "spreading misinformation in his Oct. 10
speech" endorsing unwavering support for "Israel". Additionally, the
memo urged the US government to actively support the release of
Palestinian prisoners held without charge in Israeli prisons.</p></div>
<p>Primarily, the memo's writers center on the aggressive actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Gazans. As <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/state-dept-officials-criticize-biden-s-middle-east-policy--p" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden barely expressed worries</a>
about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza while vowing
unwavering support for Gaza, the memo contends that Biden should
intensify his scrutiny of Israeli actions.</p>
<p>The memo asserted that actions such as cutting off electricity,
restricting aid, and launching non-stop bombardment, which led to the
displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and the killing of
over 11,000 including at least 4,500 children, are all violations of
international law, constituting war crimes and/or crimes against
humanity.</p>
<p>"Yet we have failed to reassess our posture towards Israel," the memo
states. "We doubled down on our unwavering military assistance to the
(Israeli government) without clear or actionable redlines."</p>
<p>Throughout the memo, there are overarching criticisms of <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-military-aid-to-israel:-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US policy in West Asia</a>,
highlighting what the authors characterize as a failure to promote a
"viable path to a two-state solution" in the Palestinian struggle, a
position Biden has expressed support for.</p>
<p>The document accused members of the White House and the National
Security Council of displaying a clear disregard for the lives of
Palestinians, a documented unwillingness to de-escalate, and, even
before October 7, a reckless lack of strategic foresight.</p>
<p>The memo additionally condemned Biden for questioning the number of
Palestinians killed in Gaza. On October 27, Biden expressed "no
confidence" in the figures provided by the Health Ministry in Gaza,
while acknowledging that he was "sure innocents have been killed" there.</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-nips-biden-claims-in-the-bud-releases-names-of-7000-mar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaza nips Biden claims in the bud, releases names of 7000+ martyrs</a></strong></p>
<p>The number of dissent memos filed within the State Department during the Israeli aggression on Gaza is unclear.</p>
<p><em> Politico</em> reported last week on a memo urging the US to
"publicly criticize Israeli violations of international norms." The
State Department has maintained a "dissent channel" since the Vietnam
War, reportedly allowing diplomats to register opposition to policies.
While dissent memos are intended to remain internal, they occasionally
get leaked to the media. Examples include a 2016 cable criticizing the
Obama administration's Syria policy and a 2021 memo on the US withdrawal
from Afghanistan, which sparked a conflict between Congress and the
State Department.</p>
<p><strong>Read next: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/majority-of-americans-believe-biden-is-mishandling-aggressio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Majority of Americans believe Biden is mishandling aggression on Gaza</a></strong></p>
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