President Joe Biden's Two Different Letters on Israel-Hamas Conflict

Mentari Puspadini, CNBC Indonesia

Sunday, 19/11/2023 21:40 WIB

Photo: President Joe Biden (AP/Andrew Harnik)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – United States (US) President Joe Biden was caught releasing two different letters regarding the Israel-Hamas war. The letters were addressed to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel Americans respectively.

This was reported by NBC News on Sunday (11/19/2023), citing a copy of official White House correspondence.

While one letter shows Biden’s support for Israel, the other letter talks about the US government’s efforts to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The letter sent to pro-Israel groups invoked the Holocaust in light of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel. They also pledged continued support to Israel and efforts to return prisoners taken by Hamas and held in Gaza.

“The Israeli people lived through a moment of pure evil that brought back horrific memories and was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” wrote Biden’s signed letter, dated November 1.

Apart from that, in the letter Biden also expressed support for Israel and called Hamas a terrorist. “The United States supports Israel. We will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against terrorism in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the letter said.

On the other hand, Biden’s letter to pro-Palestinian groups focused on aid to the country and did not mention the Holocaust or US support for Israel.

“We mourn the many innocent Palestinians who were killed,” as quoted in Biden’s second letter, dated November 8.

He added that the administration is working with its partners to ensure that life-saving aid, including food, water, and medicine can quickly reach innocent Palestinians in Gaza and emphasized that the United States firmly supports the protection of civilians during this time. crisis.

While the two letters do not appear to conflict with each other, or conflict with Biden’s policies, NBC reported that it is unusual for the White House to produce different versions of a letter on the same topic with very different emphases.

NBC added that the incident reflects the political tensions Biden is trying to navigate as elements of his pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian coalition clash over the war, and with less than a year before the election.

In an opinion piece published Saturday in the Washington Post, Biden wrote that Gaza and the occupied West Bank should be reunited under one governing structure, a revitalized Palestinian Authority.

“Gaza must no longer be used as a platform for terrorism. There must be no forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza, there must be no re-occupation, there must be no siege or blockade, and there must be no reduction in territory,” he wrote, adding that after this war is over, The voice of the Palestinian people and their aspirations must be voiced by the central government after the crisis in Gaza.

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