Hundreds of staffers sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Fox News reported. More than 400 officials representing 40 agencies and departments signed onto the letter sent to the president.
The signors remained anonymous but reportedly came from all levels of the administration. "We represent a coalition of Biden-Harris Administration political appointees and civil servants, positioned across the domestic and foreign policy spheres, working in federal agencies, departments, independent agencies, and the White House," the letter stated, according to NBC News.
“We call on President Biden to urgently demand a ceasefire; and to call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians; the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services; and the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip,” it continued. Two staffers told the news outlet that the letter had existed since about two weeks ago.
It has gained additional signors in that time, including senior employees in the administration. They are from departments including Interior, Homeland Security, Commerce, and the Executive Office of the President.
The letter reflects a growing sentiment within the administration that the war must not continue. "Every day, you’re going in to work for this administration, then you’re going to look at your phone, you’re going to see the suffering that you kind of feel like you’re causing … a lot of people are no longer comfortable being silent, no longer comfortable being complacent in a way," one staffer said.
The war began with a surprise attack on Israel perpetrated by the Palestinian terror group Hamas on Oct. 7. Israel retaliated, which prompted the usual pearl-clutching and calls for the end to violence.
Those around Biden, including staffers from his 2020 campaign, have called on the president to support a cease-fire. Congressional employees of both the Islamic and Jewish faiths appealed to Congress to support an end to the war because of growing "antisemitism, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian sentiment on the rise nationwide."
One staffer for the president called the situation "unfortunate" and believes that many in the administration feel the same. "Having hundreds and thousands of people come together within this administration and within Congress and say we are calling for a cease-fire, something that’s so basic to just end human suffering," the person told NBC News.
"Our loved ones are in imminent danger and every single day, waking up and not knowing what’s going to happen is absolute hell," another staffer told the news outlet. The person dislikes "going to work every day and feeling like you are a part of something that is actively harming people you love was expressed by so many people involved in this."
Within the Biden administration, there's a sense of discord with how the conflict is to be framed, and little guidance is being given from the top. "Some agencies have had specific meetings about this … and in some places, it has been completely taboo to even talk about this," one staffer complained.
"I’ve heard it expressed among staffers of all levels that they feel a lack of guidance for how to talk about this, how to manage people suffering because of this. A lot of people feel quite alone and frustrated," the employee said.
However, some on the radical left have had no qualms about siding against the Jewish state. One of those is Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was in hot water for her incendiary remarks against Israel last week.
Biden is stuck in a no-win situation in how to handle the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Most of the radical left sides with the terrorists, while most of America still considers Israel its ally in the region.
Meanwhile, Biden faces a contentious reelection campaign as an already unpopular politician. He will have to find a way to strike the right balance to appease people like Tlaib and the others in his administration who are supporting the terrorists, and that alone speaks volumes about the state of the Democratic Party.
