State Department staffers are reportedly ready to rebel against President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken over their support for Israel.
Internal frustration is accumulating as Blinken and his senior advisers are prioritizing supporting Israel in its conflict with Islamic terrorist group Hamas, officials said, according to HuffPost. Aggrieved staffers told the outlet there is not enough focus on delivering aid to Palestinians living in Gaza caught in the crossfire of the conflict.
EXCLU: State Dept officials are preparing a dissent cable over Biden’s Israel-Palestine policy
“A mutiny [is] brewing within State at all levels,” one official said, as staff describe anger, depression, tears in meetings + rumors more colleagues will quithttps://t.co/QgKElV6n4c
— Akbar Shahid Ahmed (@AkbarSAhmed) October 19, 2023
“There’s basically a mutiny brewing within State at all levels,” one State Department official said, per HuffPost.
Two officials told the outlet that diplomats are drafting a “dissent cable,” a document expressing opposition to American foreign policy sent to the agency’s leaders through protected internal channels.
Josh Paul, a high-level State Department official helping to oversee the transfer of weapons to Israel, resigned from his role on Wednesday, citing disagreements with Israel’s campaign against Gaza and predicting that U.S. support for Israel “will only lead to more deeper suffering for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.” (RELATED: Biden Says It Would Be A ‘Big Mistake’ For Israel To Occupy Gaza, Hamas Doesn’t Represent Palestinians)
Both Blinken and Biden have visited Israel since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Blinken held several meetings with high-level Israeli officials on Monday, the same day he hid in a bomb shelter for five minutes with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after air raid sirens sounded.
Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday to reaffirm the U.S. support for the country. The president announced a $100 million foreign aid package in an address the nation on Thursday night, tying funding for Israel to funding for Ukraine.