In messages circulated on Friday, State Department staff wrote that high-level officials do not want press materials to include three specific phrases: “de-escalation/ceasefire,” “end to violence/bloodshed” and “restoring calm.”
The revelation provides a stunning signal about the Biden administration’s reluctance to push for Israeli restraint as the close U.S. partner expands the offensive it launched after Hamas ― which rules Gaza ― attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7.
The emails were sent hours after Israel told more than 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza that they should leave their homes and shelters ahead of an expected ground invasion of the region. On Thursday, the United Nations said Israel had given Gazans a 24-hour deadline to move to the south of the strip, adding it would be “impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”
Asked about Israel’s evacuation order on Friday, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to reject or endorse it, calling it “a tall order.”
“We’re going to be careful not to get into armchair quarterbacking the tactics on the ground by the [Israel Defense Forces],” he added. “What I can tell you is we understand what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to move civilians out of harm’s way and giving them fair warning.”
IMO - The Biden Administration is tacitly endorsing what seems to me to be a coming genocide, and it's kind of freaking me out. I don't know if this is about domestic politics or if the Biden administration is actually low key cheering the slaughter on. Hamas is evil and should be destroyed, no argument here. But in the same way Hamas doesn't believe Israel should exist, a good chunk of Isreal, particularly their current far right government, feels the same way about Palestinians, all of them. It seems Israel is not going to let a good crisis go to waste. Israeli military leaders have been using dehumanizing language, which is a tell tale sign of a coming genocide, they have suspended rules of engagement, my non expert opinion is the current blockade of food, water, and electricity, while inhumane on its face, is also in part to limit the ability of the world to learn about the war crimes about to be committed. The 24 hour order to move out of northern Gaza is impossible, Israel knows that, the Biden administration knows that, it's clearly an effort to give Israel political cover for the mass amounts of civilians about to be slaughtered - if they stayed, they were part of or supportive of Hamas and so were legitimate targets, and even if not we gave them a warning to move and they failed to do so, so not our fault. I'd except this from a government who before all of this happened openly believed apartied was the ideal solution to the Palestinian conflict. I'm legitimately surprised the Biden administration is straight up cool with this going down, to the point that "end the violence/bloodshed" is by written policy a verboten phrase. It seems like some sick shit is about to go down, and the Biden Administrations hands are going to be dirty.
Joe Biden is worried about turning out the youth vote for he's relection. He's decided to be a passive accomplice to genocide. It's a bold strategy Cotton let's see how it plays out.
I suspect there may be a domestic element at play no one has mentioned—Biden wants to appear extra decisive and effective to create a contrast with republicans in the house. A more nuanced position on the conflict would distract from that messaging.
But unfortunately, I’m not sure anyone is really paying attention to the house which has given republicans extra time to deal with their distinction without scrutiny.
On a more personal level, I also think that Biden is an old, somewhat biased man, and the Israel’s messaging around the brutality of the Hamas attack seems to have had an effect on his feelings about the conflict. So it may be a confluence of politics and personal blind spots. But this is all my speculation so take it with a grain of salt.
I think it's simpler than that. I think Biden remains a die-hard imperialist, and he is enthusiastically embracing the same instincts that he embraced in the vote to invade Iraq, in the vote to give Bush authority to invade Afghanistan, and on and on and on.
It's easy to forget what he genuinely believes, because -- and I say this as a compliment -- Biden's entire policy book from the last five years is a 180 reversal from everything he's said throughout his career. But this was a guy who thought John "Bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb-Iran" McCain was basically a guiding voice on foreign policy.
If Biden wanted to play it safe, he'd play it safe. Telling the State department NOT TO CALL FOR PEACE is not playing it safe, it's just leading from the heart. And in his heart, he supports violence.
Biden is also old enough to remember the last time Palestine attacked Israel.