US President Joe Biden delivered two different messages on the war between Israel and Hamas to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli Americans, NBC News reported, based on copies of official White House correspondence.
While one letter showed Biden’s support for Israel against the “terrorism” of the Palestinian group Hamas, the other spoke of the US administration’s efforts to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
According to NBC, the letter sent to pro-Israelis invoked the Holocaust in connection with the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. He also pledged continued support for Israel and efforts to return Hamas captives held in Gaza.
“The people of Israel experienced a moment of pure evil” that “brought back horrible memories” and constituted the “deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust,” NBC reported in Biden’s letter , dated November 1.
“The United States stands with Israel,” he continued. “We will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against terrorism in accordance with international humanitarian law. »
On the other hand, Biden’s letter to pro-Palestinians focused on aid to Palestine and made no mention of the Holocaust or U.S. support for Israel.
“We mourn the many innocent Palestinians who were killed,” NBC reported in Biden’s second letter, dated November 8.
He added that the administration is “working closely with our partners to ensure that life-saving aid – including food, water and medicine – can urgently reach innocent Palestinians in Gaza” and stressed that “the United States unequivocally stands for the protection of civilians during this time.” conflict”.
Although the two letters do not appear to contradict each other or Biden’s policies, NBC reported that it is not common for the White House to craft different versions of a letter on the same subject, which varies so much in emphasis .
He added that the incident “reflects the political tightrope that Biden is trying to navigate as pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian elements of his coalition clash over the war,” and less than a year away elections.
In an opinion piece published Saturday in the Washington Post, Biden wrote that Gaza and the occupied West Bank “should be reunited under a single governance structure” — a revitalized Palestinian Authority.
“Gaza must never again be used as a platform for terrorism. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, nor any reduction of territory,” he wrote, adding that “once this war is over, the voices of the Palestinian people and its aspirations” must be there. the center of “post-crisis governance in Gaza”.
Earlier this week, the US president and two members of his cabinet were prosecuted for failing to prevent as well as aiding and abetting “genocide” in Gaza.
A federal complaint (PDF), filed Monday against Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, accuses them of “failure to prevent and complicity in the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide.”
The complaint said Washington was Israel’s closest ally and strongest supporter, as well as its largest provider of military assistance – with Israel being the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid since World War II. .
As a result, he said, the United States could have a “deterrent effect on Israeli officials who are currently pursuing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Also this week, police in riot gear confronted protesters calling for a ceasefire outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC.
Wednesday’s protest came a day after thousands of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered on the National Mall, holding signs with words such as “Let Israel finish the job,” “From the river to the sea, Israel is all you will see” and “No ceasefire”.
At least 12,000 people, including 5,000 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian officials. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas attacks stands at around 1,200 dead.