US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in a letter to State Department staff, acknowledged disagreements over Biden’s approach to the war between Israel and Hamas, CNN reports. The admission came amid “growing anger and dissent” not only within the State Department, but within the Biden administration as a whole. While some staffers are “quietly outraged,” others are openly calling for a ceasefire and resigning without supporting US actions.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has acknowledged that there are disagreements in the State Department over the Biden administration’s approach to the war between Israel and Hamas, CNN reported. The statement follows an email the secretary of state sent to department officials on Monday.
Blinken’s message was made amid “growing anger and dissent not only among State Department employees, but in the Biden administration as a whole,” the outlet reports. Last week, the US media reported about hundreds of USAID employees who signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire, while the State Department itself has repeatedly reported about “dissenters” with the policy of the US leadership.
As CNN notes, dissatisfaction with Biden’s actions in the Middle East is observed in many state structures, but the most fierce reaction was caused inside the State Department. For example, some officials are publicly resigning from the department because of the Biden administration’s approach to the conflict. Elsewhere in the administration, officials are still “quietly outraged” over the rising number of civilian casualties, the publication said.
In his letter, Blinken also provided an overview of his recent trip to the Middle East, noting that “the primary U.S. goal remains unchanged: to end this horrific conflict as soon as possible.” The secretary of state acknowledged that “too many Palestinian civilians have died” and called for “doing much more to reduce human suffering.”
At a briefing at the State Department on Monday, spokesman Matthew Miller, responding to questions about the growing divisions, said that “there are people with different views at the State Department, just like any other organisation,” CNN adds. For now, however, the issue remains unresolved – so far, the Biden administration continues to pursue a controversial policy in the Middle East, aiding Israel, which only exacerbates tensions among top officials.