800 public officials from 12 U.S. and European countries call for an end to propaganda supporting Israel
On the 2nd, about 800 U.S. and European government officials issued a statement urging their governments to stop persuading citizens to “support Israel.”
Officials from 12 countries, the U.S., the U.K., and the European Union made a joint statement of solidarity for the first time in history, declaring in the “Transatlantic Officials’ Statement on the Gaza Strip,” “It is our duty to speak out when the government’s policies are wrong.”
The Officials’ Declaration on the Gaza Strip calls for “an end to propaganda to the public that it is in our country’s interests to support the rationale behind Israel’s operations,” and “as much as we do to support the Ukrainian people, “We must ensure that we can respond strongly to attacks on civilians,” he declared.
“Israel’s military operation ignores all the significant counterterrorism expertise gained since 9/11 and fails to contribute to Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas, instead strengthening the appeal of Hamas, Hezbollah and other negative actors,” the official statement said. “The ongoing military operation will harm not only Israel’s own security but also regional stability, and the risk of broader war is having a negative impact on our government’s stated security objectives.”
“Our government has provided open, diplomatic and military support to Israel’s military operations, and this support has been provided without any real conditions or accountability,” the declaration said of its government. “When faced with a humanitarian catastrophe, our governments must provide immediate, “We did not call for a cease-fire and an end to the blockade of food, water, and medicine needed in the Gaza Strip,” he said, revealing the failure of the support policy.
On the policy of supporting the ‘Declaration’: “Our government’s current policy undermines its moral standing and its ability to defend freedom, justice, and human rights around the world, while rallying international support for Ukraine and supporting the actions of Russia, China, and Iran. “There is a risk that our government’s policies are contributing to serious violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes, and even ethnic cleansing or genocide,” he said.
Regarding Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, the 'Declaration' said, "The failure to show any vigilance in the military operation has resulted in tens of thousands of preventable civilian deaths," and "Israel's deliberate blocking of aid has led to a humanitarian disaster, causing thousands of civilian deaths." “It put them at risk of starvation and slow death.”
Regarding the hostages, the declaration said, “Israel’s military operations have not contributed to the goal of releasing all hostages and are putting their well-being, lives and release at risk.”
“We have a duty to do all we can for our country and ourselves to avoid becoming complicit in one of the worst human catastrophes of our century,” the declaration said of the duties of public servants. “We have a duty to warn the public of our country and to act in cooperation with our transnational colleagues.”
Regarding the duties of civil servants, the declaration said, “We have a duty to respect, protect and support the constitutional and international and national legal obligations promised to us by democratically elected administrations.” “Regardless, we must respect, serve, and follow the law while implementing policies,” he said.
“We have been doing so for our entire careers,” the statement continued. “We are employed to provide services, inform and advise governments/agencies, and we have expertise on which governments have relied for decades. “We have demonstrated internally our concerns that the policies of our government/agency do not serve our interests and have called for alternatives that better serve national and international security, democracy, and freedom.” revealed.
The ‘declaration’ thus “reflects the core principles of Western foreign policy and incorporates lessons learned,” and “our professional concerns have been overridden by political and ideological considerations,” and that the current Israel-biased support policy is “political considerations.” It was pointed out as a deliberate mistake by .
There are about 800 government officials from 12 countries, including the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, who signed the statement. The statement was made public on this day and delivered to their respective governments.
The New York Times, which obtained the declaration document, responded to the fact that the names of the signatories were not included in an interview with an official who had worked at the State Department for more than 20 years, saying, "The signatories were afraid of retaliation, but the letter, signed by about 800 current government officials, was signed by several national government levels. “It was approved as it was quietly circulated among officials,” it was reported on the 2nd.
The NYT said of the declaration, “These efforts show how much pro-Israel policies among leaders in the United States, Britain and Europe have stirred dissent among public officials,” adding, “About 80 of the signatories came from American institutions, the largest group.” “The group comes from the State Department,” he said. “Among the signatories, the most represented governing bodies are the European Union institutions, followed by the Netherlands and the United States.”
An official involved in the letter told the NYT that “national-level officials from eight other NATO member countries as well as Sweden and Switzerland have approved the letter,” adding, “Most of the supporters work in the foreign ministries of those countries.”
Van der Woude, a conflict and peacekeeping expert who worked at the Dutch Foreign Ministry's mission in Ramallah, West Bank, resigned from his diplomatic post in 2022 in protest against government policies.
Commenting on the declaration, Mr van der Bude said: “In situations such as the Israel-Hamas conflict, dissent is justified if the policies being adopted are seen as harmful, even among civil servants who tend to work behind the scenes and take political direction from elected governments. “It can happen,” he told the NYT.
“Just because we’re public officials doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the responsibility to keep thinking,” he said. “When the system produces crooked decisions or actions, we have a responsibility to stop them. It's not as simple as 'shut up and do as you're told.' “As public servants, we also get paid to think,” he told the NYT.
A similar petition campaign by public officials opposing Israeli military operations was made public by U.S. officials several times last fall with letters and messages containing similar content.
On November 14 last year, about 500 employees of U.S. government agencies sent a letter criticizing President Biden's war policy.
More than 500 political appointees and civil servants representing more than 40 federal government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on this day protesting his support for Israel in the Gaza war, demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and allowing Israel to allow humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He urged that pressure be applied.
NYT reported on November 14 last year, “This letter includes three internal memos to Secretary of State Blinken signed by dozens of State Department employees and an open letter signed by more than 1,000 U.S. Agency for International Development employees, and Biden administration officials “It is the latest of several protest letters sent,” he said. “In the letter, the officials did not name them. More than 1,000 employees of the United States Agency for International Development also issued an open letter to the same effect, and dozens of State Department officials “They sent at least three internal objections to Secretary of State Blinken,” it was reported.