Popular Articles
Today Week Month Year


MORE WAR: US Diplomats warned by State Dept. to avoid calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas conflict
By Cassie B. // Oct 20, 2023

Many people around the world are praying that the violence in the Middle East will end soon, but U.S. diplomats are being warned not to publicly call for a de-escalation in Gaza, even as the death toll continues to climb.

In internal emails that were viewed by HuffPost, the State Department wrote that three phrases in particular must be avoided when diplomats make public statements about the current situation between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas: “de-escalation/ceasefire,” “restoring calm,” and “end to violence/bloodshed.”

The State Department has refused to comment on the memo, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the U.S. is actively avoiding asking Israel to use restraint, at least publicly. Calls for a ceasefire, in particular, may be viewed as the U.S. asking Israel not to defend itself, something that could cause a rift between these important allies.

These emails were sent out just hours after Israel warned those in northern Gaza to evacuate to the south ahead of a potential ground invasion despite the logistical difficulties of complying, with many Gazans lacking the resources to make such a move and having nowhere safe to go; reports have also emerged that Hamas is blocking people from leaving safely.

Even though it is painfully obvious that the order could potentially put millions of people in danger, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby was reluctant to criticize the move, instead calling it a “tall order.”

Biden administration hesitant to criticize Israeli response

It comes as President Biden and his administration continue to take a surprisingly strong stance in favor of Israel, particularly in light of Biden’s frosty relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When Israel was attacked and thousands of people were killed, the U.S. responded almost immediately, sending Israel military equipment and munitions and pledging unwavering support. In addition, American aircraft carriers have been sent to the region in a signal to Iran and Hezbollah that anyone who attacks Israel will have to answer to the U.S.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

While Biden, like many others, has supported Israel’s right to defend itself in the wake of a devastating attack by Hamas, many are qualifying their statements of support to specify that any Israeli defense must be done without civilian casualties.

Biden and officials within his administration, however, have generally not been very measured in their statements in support of Israel, and they have largely refused to criticize the Israeli government for the siege of Gaza despite the negative effects it is having on the people living there. One of the few exceptions to this staunch support came over the weekend, when Biden said on 60 Minutes that occupying Gaza would be a big mistake.

“Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again,” he said.

He added, however, that “taking out the extremists” would be a “necessary requirement.”

Some experts have suggested that the U.S. is going out of its way to avoid appearing unsupportive of Israel in light of its heavy loss of life and the fact that around 200 Israelis are believed to still be hostages of Hamas militants, and there are arguments to be made that private coercion will yield better results than public pressure.

Although it is hard to know what is being said behind closed doors, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently paying his second visit to Israel since the Hamas attacks more than a week ago, and he has been traveling throughout the Middle East in an effort to keep the current fighting from sparking a bigger regional conflict. One can only hope that he is making it clearer in private than he is in public that the loss of innocent lives in unacceptable.

Sources for this article include:

HuffPost.com

NewRepublic.com

WashingtonPost.com



Take Action:
Support NewsTarget by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NewsTarget.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.

NewsTarget.com © 2022 All Rights Reserved. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. NewsTarget.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. NewsTarget.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published on this site. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
News Target uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.