According to an internal State Department dissent note that was leaked, President Biden is “spreading misinformation” about the Israel-Hamas conflict and asserting that Israel is committing “war crimes.” As per Axios, the memo bears the signatures of one hundred workers of the State Department and USAID, suggesting that Biden’s backing of Israel amounts to “complicity in genocide.” Additionally, the memo claims that Biden’s doubts about the precise number of casualties in Gaza are troublesome.

An Overview
The document, sent on November 3 to the policy office of the State Department, discusses the terror incident on October 7 that was carried out by Hamas and left at least 1,400 civilians dead. It suggests that the US administration push for the liberation of the hostages that were kidnapped during the assault. The document mostly concentrates on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s retaliation on Hamas in Gaza, even if it blames Hamas for its activities.

President Biden is accused of “spreading misinformation” in the document, although no particular examples of the purported misinformation are given. It demands that Biden take a more critical stance regarding Israel’s conduct, asserting that it has committed “war crimes and/or crimes against humanity under international law” by turning off the electricity, restricting aid, and uprooting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Criticism of U.S. Policy: The document makes the claim that no realistic path to a two-state resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict has been advanced, which is in line with Biden’s stated support for the idea. It also includes more general criticisms of U.S. policy in the Middle East.

White House Reaction: The White House has not yet addressed the allegations made against President Biden or the leaked document. The president now faces more difficulties as a result of the memo’s release, as progressive Democrats voice their displeasure with the way the Israel-Hamas issue has been handled.

State Department Viewpoint: The State Department confirmed that the dissent document was there and stressed how crucial it is for staff members to have a way to voice policy differences without fear of reprisals. They admitted that opinions on US policy in the Middle East varied within the department.