State Department Orders Diplomats To Not Use Phrases Suggesting Israel Should Back Off Its Assault on Gaza

Oct. 14, 2023, (EIRNS)—Confirming the criminality of the Biden administration’s unrestricted support for Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population in Gaza, the Huffington Post, RT, the Times of Israel and other media reported today on the State Department email sent out to a small group of diplomats yesterday, advising them to refrain from using three specific phrases when referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. The prohibited phrases are “restoring calm,” “end of violence/bloodshed,” or “ceasefire/de-escalation.” The email orders that any press materials issued in the U.S. name must not include these phrases.

The Huffington Post, which saw or obtained the email, described it as a “stunning signal of the Biden administration’s reluctance to push for Israeli restraint” as it proceeds with its onslaught against Gaza. Asked about the directive, a State Department official said he couldn’t comment on “internal communications.” The Times of Israel yesterday explained it tersely: “The memo indicates that the U.S. does not plan to call on Israel to exercise restraint when responding to the Hamas onslaught.”

The New Arab website reports that according to Robbie Gramer, national security reporter for Foreign Policy, Secretary of State Tony Blinken deleted and replaced a tweet posting on X earlier this week, in which he first said that in talks with Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan he had “encouraged Türkiye’s advocacy for a ceasefire and release of all hostages held by Hamas immediately.” The replacement post said only he had discussed Hamas’ attack on Israel with Fidan, and that “Israel has the right to defend itself, rescue any hostages and defend its citizens.”

Maybe Blinken was the author of the email.