Secretary of State Antony Blinken caused an uproar over the weekend with a since-deleted social media post in which he encouraged a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Blinken said in a message Sunday that he “encourages” Turkey’s call for a halt to the fighting as Israel begins to respond to Saturday’s massive attack by Palestinian terror groups that left hundreds of Israelis dead.
“Turkish Foreign Minister @HakanFidan and I talked more about the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. I encourage Türkiye’s support for a ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas,” read Blinken’s post on X, formerly Twitter.
Blinken’s post came a day after the US Office of Palestinian Affairs tweeted, then deleted, another controversial post arguing for an end to the violence.
A now-deleted post that mentioned the cease-fire call.
“We strongly condemn the terrorist attack by Hamas and the loss of life that has been incurred. We urge all parties to refrain from violence and counter-attacks. Violence and violence don’t solve anything,” OPA said of X.
Critics hammered Blinken, arguing it was too early to call for a ceasefire following the outrage that included the killing of at least 260 music festival-goers in southern Israel.
Additionally, Israel’s supporters have long criticized Turkey’s past relationship with Hamas, accusing the Ankara government of allowing terrorists to operate within its borders.
Antony Blinken has drawn fresh criticism of the administration’s policies toward Iran, which has long supported Hamas.Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock
I repeat: Hakan Fidan is the intelligence chief who led the establishment of the Hamas headquarters in Turkey which includes the active terrorist commander who directed the attacks in the West Bank, Saleh al-Arouri. https://t.co/J8ETtxj2q1
— Jonathan Schanzer (@JSchanzer) October 9, 2023
“I repeat: Hakan Fidan was the intelligence chief who led the establishment of a Hamas headquarters in Turkey that included the active terrorist commander who directed the attacks in the West Bank, Saleh al-Arouri,” wrote Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“Oh my—, the Biden administration is already calling for a ‘cease fire.’ I didn’t think they could be THIS disgusting and heartless. But here we are,” added political consultant Noah Pollak.
“It would be a terrible mistake for the Biden administration to push for a cease-fire before the Israeli military has a chance to respond & fully neutralize Hamas terrorist infrastructure and personnel in Gaza. This is premature. We should get out of Israel’s way for some & support,” said self-described conservative attorney Heath Mayo.
“Strange because it took more than 12 hours for them to delete this tweet. This is not the first time @StateDept has issued a message through official channels with a dedication to Hamas,” said Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.
Strange that it took them over 12 hours to delete this tweet.
This is not the first time @StateDept has issued a message through official channels with the surrender to Hamas. pic.twitter.com/IvAaA9JgQq
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) October 9, 2023
“Apparently US Secretary of State #Blinken has deleted a tweet yesterday in which he ‘encouraged’ Hamas-supporting Turkey to arrange a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Are there real adults in charge in Foggy Bottom? #IsraelUnderAttack,” added retired US diplomat Alberto Miguel Fernandez.
Hamas launched a widespread attack early Saturday, catching Israeli intelligence and defense officials off guard.
Israel has since declared war on the terror group – the first such declaration in 50 years – and retaliated in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas holds power.
Both Blinken and President Biden publicly reaffirmed US support for Israel and the right to self-defense over the weekend.
Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.AP Palestinians celebrate with a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence.AP
At least 800 Israelis have died in the massacre, with the State Department confirming that at least nine Americans were also among the dead.
An unspecified number of Israelis are also believed to have been taken to the Gaza Strip as hostages.
It is unclear if any Americans are among the number.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
