First it was an internal State Department "dissent" memo that was leaked to the press accusing Joe Biden of "spreading misinformation" in a speech he delivered on October 10. The approximately 100 State Department and USAID employees who signed the memo, says Axios, claimed Israel is committing "war crimes," and that Biden's continued support of the Jewish nation makes him "complicit in genocide."
That was followed by a separate report, this one from Fox News, that 400 government officials from 40 departments and agencies are making similar accusations of the president and demanding a cease-fire. Reportedly the anonymous signatories to that letter include officials from the White House, National Security Council, and Justice Department – as well as the State Department.
Gary Bauer of American Values says the State Department has a long history of antisemitism. "The sad fact is that the State Department, when it comes to Israel, has had its own foreign policy … probably since the creation of the modern state of Israel," he tells AFN.
He contends that when Biden took office, liberals within the State Department started to reveal the anti-Israel bias that had gone quiet during the Trump administration.
"When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won, they all thought that he was going to be reliably anti-Israel," says Bauer. "And I suspect he would be if he wasn't in some political difficulty."
But in the days following the October 7 terror attack by Hamas, Bauer says the Biden White House knew there was no option whatsoever than to be vehemently on the side of Israel.
"They also knew that as time went on, the images of that terrible day would begin to disappear and the constant news coverage of civilians dying in Gaza would begin to undermine support for Israel," he offers.
Bauer – who also serves as director emeritus of Christians United for Israel Action Fund – isn't surprised at the recent retreat by the White House in its once uncompromising support of Israel. "I think Israel will discover that this White House is a very thin reed to rely on if [they're] expecting help from Washington, DC," he concludes.
Neither Axios nor Fox News reports receiving a response from the White House requesting comment.
