Headline Roundup • November 14th, 2023
Hundreds of US Officials Urge Biden to Demand Ceasefire in Gaza
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Hundreds of United States officials have reportedly signed internal memos submitted through the State Department’s “dissent channel” protesting the Biden Administration's handling of the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Details: First established during the Vietnam War, the dissent channel allows officials to raise concerns and voice disapproval with federal policies. More than 400 employees from dozens of federal agencies have reportedly signed a memo calling for Biden to demand a ceasefire.
Key Quotes: One memo reportedly stated, “We call on President Biden to urgently demand a cease-fire; and to call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians; the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services; and the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.” On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the concerns in an email, stating, “I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll,” adding, “some people in the department may disagree with approaches we are taking or have views on what we can do better … We’re listening: What you share is informing our policy and our messages.”
How the Media Covered It: Reuters (Center bias) cited “several U.S. officials” to determine the dissent is “unlikely to profoundly change Biden's policy.” The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) also noted a separate letter from U.S. officials praising Biden’s response to the conflict.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
More than 400 political appointees and staff members representing some 40 government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on Tuesday protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza.
The letter, part of growing internal dissent over the administration’s support of the war, calls on the president to seek an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and to push Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. It is the latest of several protest letters from officials throughout the Biden administration, including three internal memos to Secretary of...
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool/File Photo
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday moved to address rising criticism within the State Department ranks over the Biden administration's policy on the Israel-Hamas war, as hundreds of U.S. government employees openly and privately have advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza.
At least three cables criticizing the administration's policy have been filed with the Department's internal "dissent channel", which was established during the Vietnam War and allows diplomats to raise concerns about policy anonymously with the Secretary of State, sources familiar with the matter said.
The criticism focuses...
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
More than 400 political appointees and staff members from dozens of federal agencies are urging President Biden to call for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, a remarkable show of internal dissent over the White House’s approach to the conflict.
The protest is outlined in a formal letter to Mr. Biden and begins by denouncing the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that killed more than 1,400 in Israel, then urges the president to stop the Palestinian civilian deaths caused by the Israeli military’s operations in Gaza, according to...
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