Matthew Miller, the former spokesperson for the American State Department who spent months defending the conduct of Israel in the war in Gaza, acknowledged that the Israeli army had “undoubtedly” committed war crimes on Palestinian territory.
Miller told Podcast Sky News Trump100 on Monday, however, that he did not think that the genocide was underway in Gaza.
“I don’t think it’s a genocide, but I think it is – without a doubt – true that Israel has committed war crimes,” said Miller.
The former spokesperson was one of the public faces of the undoubted support of former President Joe Biden in Israel when he killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and saw a large part of the enclave.
The United Nations experts and the main rights defense groups accused Israel of genocidal acts – an effort to destroy the Palestinian people in its entirety or in part.
No American restrictions
Miller’s comments raise questions about the reasons why the Biden administration has continued to arm Israel despite American laws that restrict military aid to countries that commit human rights violations and international law.
The former collaborators of the American president have repeatedly certified that they could not conclude that Israel violated the laws of war or restricting humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, despite the wide proofs documenting Israeli abuses.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 54,381 Palestinians were killed and 124,054 injured. Almost every 2.3 million people in the enclave were moved, while an Israeli blockage threatens famine.
During his stay with the State Department, Miller regularly clashed with journalists who questioned the American response to Israeli Gaza management, including attacks of medical and camps that house Palestinian civilians.
In an incident last November, Miller was reprimanded for laughing during a question on the assistance of Israel blocking aid to Gaza. US law specifically prohibits security aid for the state that restricts humanitarian aid supported by the United States in conflict areas.
Asked about particular atrocities, in particular – for example – the murder of the six -year -old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab, Miller would often say that US officials have mentioned the incident with their Israeli counterparts, who are investigating.
The spokesperson would continue to invoke these alleged contacts and probes – sometimes months after the incident – to reject questions on war crimes presumed by Israel.
Express the official position
On the podcast Sky News, Miller seemed to criticize his own questions about questions when he was spokesperson. “We know that Israel has opened investigations. But, look, we are several months in these surveys. And we do not see Israeli soldiers held responsible,” he said.
Miller underlined in the interview on Monday that as a spokesperson, he did not recommend his own opinion but expressed the official position of the Biden administration.
“You are spokesperson for the president, the administration and you marry the administration positions,” he said. “And when you are not in the administration, you can simply give your own opinions.”
Asked about his experience by managing the problem, Miller said that there were “young and old” disagreements in the Biden administration about how to manage Israel.
“There have been disagreements throughout the way on how to manage politics. Some of them were great disagreements, some of them were small disagreements,” he said.
In particular, he referred to tensions between Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
He admitted that “there was probably” more that the United States could have done to put Israel to stop the war and prevent the murder of “thousands of … innocent civilians who did not want this war”.
Hamas is looking for actions
On Tuesday, the Palestinian group Hamas said that Miller’s comments confirmed the crimes of Israel more and underline the “direct responsibility of Washington as a real partner” in the genocide against the Palestinians.
“We call on the international community and international judicial institutions to transform these dangerous confessions into immediate surveys and legal action,” Hamas said in a statement.
Raed Jarrar, Dawn’s advocacy director, a defense group in the United States, said he was “scandalous” that Miller waited as he was out of power to admit that Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza.
“US officials who know the atrocities are committed and continue to defend them behind the podium are not neutral, they are accomplices. Miller’s silence while the government helped Israel manage its genocide. It has Palestinian blood on its hands,” Jarrar told Tel Aviv Tribune in an email.
“Anyone guilty of having helped and encouraged the genocide should be held responsible by the International Criminal Court or other international mechanisms.”