Israel's war, which began a month ago in self-defense against Hamas attacks in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, now stands on the brink of genocide. The death toll has exceeded 11,500. According to Save the Children, a child is killed every 10 minutes by Israeli strikes in Gaza. One in three victims is either a child or a woman.
Protests have erupted in most capitals of the world against the killings in the name of a war aimed at exterminating an ethnic group. Even hundreds of thousands of people protested in front of the White House in Washington DC, the capital of the United States, and said that the killing of this nation must be stopped immediately.
Many say the intensity of the protests is reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam protests of the 1970s. People from the Jewish community also joined the protest.
A notable exception to this year's protests is that not only students or political activists, but people from various sections of the society have joined these programs. Among them are officials who took jobs in the administration for political reasons, members of the State Department, and even various levels of staff working in the US Congress.
Last week, hundreds of congressional workers met on the steps of Capitol Hall in a dramatic protest. According to them, the people of the areas where the Congress members were elected are demanding an immediate ceasefire. But the Congress members are not listening to the words of the people. The letter of protest, distributed as an open letter, was also signed by several Jewish officials.
About 70 Muslim and Arab officials in President Joe Biden's administration also protested the US policy. They said, 'We joined the Biden administration believing that the promises he made for democracy and human rights would be kept.' In a meeting with the administration's top officials, these officials demanded a cease-fire in Gaza as well as an end to the supply of US weapons to Israel.
US State Department
Perhaps the most dramatic protest came from various ranks of staff and officials at the US State Department. A protest letter signed by at least 500 officials protested the way the Biden administration has sided with Israel. Not one, but three letters of protest have been delivered to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
The first letter of protest reached the Foreign Office soon after the outbreak of war. But for unknown reasons the letter was not disclosed. The matter came to light a few days ago after Blinken himself acknowledged the protest letter sent by the Foreign Office staff in a letter. In that letter, Blinken assured Foreign Office staff that their concerns would be taken seriously. Their views will not be ignored in the formulation of US policy.
One or more such letters of protest have been sent to the Secretary of State by various levels of US State Department staff, first reported by the web-magazine Politico. The newspaper wrote that it has such a secret letter in its possession, and it is clear from the language and wording of this letter that many State Department officials have questions about the Israel-Gaza war. They have no confidence in the current policies of the Biden administration.
If this attitude of State Department staff continues and takes a more severe form, it will be difficult for the Biden administration to adopt a coherent policy in the Middle East, the newspaper reported.
The newspaper quoted some of the protest letter they received. Most notably, it calls for the Biden administration to publicly criticize Israel's ongoing activities in order to gain public trust. "We must publicly criticize Israel's failure to follow international law and principles, particularly its failure to limit attacks on legitimate military targets," the protest letter obtained by Politico said.
When Israel supports illegal settler violence and uses excessive force against Palestinians, we need to make it clear that what Israel is doing is contrary to our values. This public protest is necessary to prevent Israel from doing whatever it wants unilaterally and unhindered.'
Protest in Descent Channel
The protest letter from the Foreign Office officials came through the 'dissent channel' established to express dissent. This channel was established in 1971 to allow field officers to express their views during the Vietnam War. After the massacre in Dhaka in December of that year, US Consul General Archer Blood and his colleagues working there protested the US policy and expressed their dissent through this channel.
According to the State Department, the descent channel allows US officials to express alternative views and information on matters of national importance. As a result of this, new ideas are revealed, it is possible to formulate more meaningful policies instead of old ideas.
Despite this liberal initiative of the United States, in most cases dissent is expressed on some question, often unknown to the general public. About 500 dissenting officials on the Gaza issue have written to the Foreign Minister expressing their displeasure, which would have been boxed up had it not been leaked to the media.
The resignation of Josh Paul, a mid-level State Department official, is another testament to how America's unconditional support for Israel has hurt. He worked in the political and military bureau of this ministry for 11 years. Explaining why he was resigning, he wrote, "Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 was deeply reprehensible."
But it must also be said that the US-backed Israeli military operation in Gaza in response to this attack has increased the suffering of innocent people on both sides. America's blind support for Israel is not only inimical to peace and security, but also terribly harmful. This US policy towards Israel is nothing more than political opportunism and intellectual bankruptcy.
Another employee, Sylvia Yacoub, using her name X (former Twitter handle) openly accused President Biden of aiding Israel in 'genocide'. He called Vice President Kamala Harris detached from reality.
Stubborn Biden
The Biden administration's position on Israel appears unlikely at the moment because of global protests or internal disagreements.
The influence of Jewish money and lobbying in American politics is immense.
President Joe Biden himself has been a staunch supporter of the state of Israel since the beginning of his political career. On the Senate floor in 1986, he declared, 'If Israel did not exist, we would have to "invent" Israel for our own sake.'
Addressing critics of US support for Israel, Biden said, 'We have nothing to be ashamed of. The three billion dollars in aid we give to Israel each year is our most meaningful investment.'
America's love for Israel, however, is not determined by the likes and dislikes of any individual. Behind this lies America's own strategic equation. Governments come and governments go, but America's policy toward Israel does not change. Because the geopolitical interests of the two countries are similar. Israel is America's own whip in the Middle East. It is also a military base to use for its own needs.
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