Biden Grappling With Rifts Over Gaza Inside His Administration

One internal dissent memo accuses President Biden of ’spreading misinformation' about the Hamas-Israel conflict.
Biden Grappling With Rifts Over Gaza Inside His Administration
U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House on Nov. 14, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Epoch Times Staff
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President Joe Biden is facing growing internal dissent over his administration’s support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Hundreds of government employees have publicly or privately attacked his handling of the Middle East war and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Several cables opposing the administration’s policy on the Hamas–Israel conflict were reportedly filed through the State Department’s so-called dissent channel, a system established during the Vietnam War.

The 50-year-old mechanism allows U.S. diplomats and State Department employees to criticize government policies. Those who submit dissent cables are shielded from retaliation or reprisal under department regulations.

Furthermore, more than 400 political appointees and staff members from about 40 government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on Nov. 14 to express their disappointment with his backing of Israel in its conflict with Hamas, according to a New York Times report.

They are demanding that the president press for an immediate ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The dissent reflects a generational divide within the government, with many younger employees leading the charge, according to the report.

This comes after hundreds of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees reportedly signed a letter in early November asking the Biden administration to urge “an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities” in the Israel–Hamas war.

These protests by federal employees are a “childish effort to get attention,” according to Bonnie Glick, an American diplomat who served as deputy administrator and chief operating officer of USAID under then-President Donald Trump.

“There are proper channels for dissent. Some have chosen to use those channels. But most have resorted instead to press leaks and inappropriate public complaints,” Ms. Glick told The Epoch Times in an email.

“Their job is to represent American policy. If they don’t like the policy, they are free to resign. So far, only one person has done that; the rest continue to receive paychecks while slow-walking implementation of the president’s and secretary of state’s policies.”

President Biden has come under fire for his unwavering support for Israel in the aftermath of a devastating surprise attack by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 civilians, including dozens of Americans.

Since then, Israel has conducted a military campaign in Gaza. According to Gaza’s health ministry, which is run by Hamas, that campaign has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians.

One of the internal dissent memos, according to Axios, accused President Biden of “spreading misinformation” about the Middle East crisis and said that Israel is committing “war crimes” in Gaza.
During a press briefing on Nov. 13, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to comment on that dissent memo. However, he recognized that there is disagreement inside the State Department about the Hamas–Israel conflict.

He added that Secretary of State Antony Blinken values the dissent channel and appreciates getting feedback through it.

“One of our strengths as an organization is that we have that diversity of views and that we welcome people to make those views known,” Mr. Miller said. “The secretary has met with a number of people from all ranks of the department, from different bureaus in the department, to hear exactly what they think about our policy, both with respect to Israel and its conflict with Hamas and with respect to other matters, including very controversial matters, and he encourages people to provide feedback. He encourages people to speak up if they disagree. It doesn’t mean that we’re going to change our policy based on their disagreements.”

‘The Mechanism Is Undermined’

Leaking confidential cables harms the system and the department’s credibility, according to Cale Brown, senior adviser to Polaris National Security and a former State Department official.

“As a confidential mechanism for diplomats to ensure the secretary hasn’t overlooked important considerations in the formulation of foreign policy, the dissent channel is an important backstop. But the mechanism is undermined and the reputation of the department is damaged when bureaucrats make their dissent public by leaking confidential cables,” Mr. Brown told The Epoch Times in an email.

“If a foreign service officer was so galled by U.S. policy that they found it unbearable, they have recourse to resign in protest (as one has done recently) or accept the repercussions of going public with their views on the record,” he said, noting that this kind of public dissent is counterproductive and serves personal vanity.

Last month, Josh Paul, a former State Department official, resigned in protest of President Biden’s response to the Hamas–Israel conflict.

“I fear we are repeating the same mistakes we have made these past decades, and I decline to be a part of it for longer,” Mr. Paul explained in a LinkedIn post on Oct. 18.

Mr. Blinken acknowledged this growing frustration and division among State Department employees in a recent email to the staff.

“I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll,” he said in the email, according to Reuters.

“I also know that some people in the Department may disagree with the approaches we are taking or have views on what we can do better. We’ve organized forums in Washington to hear from you and urged managers and teams to have candid discussions at posts around the world precisely so we can hear your feedback and ideas. I’ve asked our senior leadership to keep doing that,” Mr. Blinken wrote.

“We’re listening: what you share is informing our policy and our messages.”