Biden staffers disrupt lame-duck period with new round of protest about Israel
President Joe Biden’s staffers are leading another revolt against their boss, who is facing his final days in office and continued criticism for how he has handled the country’s relationship with Israel.
A group of more than 20 White House staffers not directly involved in Middle Eastern policy issued a letter of protest over the Biden administration’s failure to follow through on threats to withhold some support for Israel if certain conditions weren’t met, Politico reported. The letter acknowledged the lame-duck period but argued that the administration could still take decisive action.
“You are running out of time to do the right thing, but decisive action could save precious lives in the next two months,” it read.
The letter argued that a continuation of U.S. support for Israeli military operations is illegal, violating federal statutes such as the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the Leahy Laws.
The Biden administration used the Leahy Laws to almost sanction an Israel Defense Forces unit but decided against it after pushback.
One signatory resigned after the letter was sent.
“One thing that drew me into this was legacy,” one of the staffers said. “If the course is continued, it will be a legacy of horror.”
The letter was triggered by the failure of the Biden administration to follow through on an ultimatum delivered to Israel on Oct. 13, demanding “concrete measures” to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza within 30 days. Though Israel took some measures toward rectifying the situation, the Biden administration and the United Nations said it was inadequate, a charge Israel disputed.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson disputed the accusations in the letter of dissent, calling its characterization of the situation “not at all accurate.”
There have been at least three other memos and letters protesting the Biden administration’s policies regarding Israel this year alone. The administration has also been plagued by a string of resignations.
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Internal letters of dissent rarely change official U.S. policy, but their issuance can draw attention to the matter. One of the most famous examples of this is the “Blood Telegram,” a strongly worded letter of protest regarding U.S. support for Pakistan in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
Though casualty figures in the war in Gaza are disputed, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry put the number of dead at 43,000, not distinguishing between fighters and civilians. The war recently expanded to Lebanon, where more than 3,000 have died.
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