| | | | |  | | By Joseph Gedeon, Robbie Gramer and Eric Bazail-Eimil | | 
While acknowledging President Joe Biden is on his way out, the staffers in the new letter argue that U.S. support for Israeli military operations violates multiple federal statutes, including the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Laws. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | With help from Phelim Kine Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric Internal government dissent letters over President JOE BIDEN’s Israel policy keep piling up, but will they make a difference during his final months in office? In the latest missive, obtained by Nat Sec Daily, a group of at least 20 White House staffers call out the the Biden administration for failing to follow through on demands issued by Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN and Pentagon Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN on Oct. 13, which required Israel to take “concrete measures” within 30 days to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The letter represents the latest internal pushback against the White House’s policy toward Israel’s offensive in Gaza and calls for cutting military aid to Israel. "You are running out of time to do the right thing, but decisive action could save precious lives in the next two months,” the staffers write. The staffers, who work across the executive office of the president and aren’t directly involved in Middle East policy, were granted anonymity for fear of career retaliation. Thus far such letters haven’t done much to move U.S. policy. Biden has repeatedly vowed “ironclad” support to Israel and the Biden administration backed off its ultimatum to condition military aid to Israel over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. The death toll has reportedly soared to over 43,000 since last October, including dozens killed in air strikes on Sunday, believed to be mostly women and children. Still, these types of letters offer more clarity into the steep internal resistance Biden and his top aides are facing in their support for Israel as the death toll mounts in Gaza. And in this case, the letter likely represents a last-ditch push to convince the outgoing president to alter course before leaving office (and before Trump allies begin preparing a sweeping purge of the federal workforce). One senior White House staffer explained why they sent it: “One thing that drew me into this was legacy,” the staffer said. “If the course is continued, it will be a legacy of horror.” There’s a similar push in Congress. Several prominent lawmakers on the left are pushing a resolution of disapproval to block more Biden arms sales to Israel. This includes Sens. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.), ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) and CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.). Israel appears to have ignored all previous calls to get humanitarian aid back up even after the deadline, which has instead fallen to the lowest levels in the past several months. UNRWA said more than 100 food trucks had been looted upon entering Gaza this morning, citing a dereliction of legal obligations by Israel to let more aid trucks through. While acknowledging Biden is on his way out, the staffers in the new letter argue that U.S. support for Israeli military operations violates multiple federal statutes, including the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Laws. One of the signatories resigned after signing, citing the administration’s Israel policy. A spokesperson with the White House National Security Council said the characterization of nothing being done is “not at all accurate.” The spokesperson said that the administration has received some humanitarian commitments from Israel in response to its demands and that it has seen some improvement to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The spokesperson was granted anonymity to discuss internal policymaking. This marks the latest in a flurry of letters from U.S. government officials urging Biden to cut or condition U.S. support for Israel as the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Lebanon worsen amid Israel’s fight against the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups. In April, 185 lawyers in the U.S. and abroad — including dozens within the administration — sent a letter to top White House officials arguing that sending weapons to Israel in the context of the ongoing war is illegal. Other senior U.S. officials challenged Blinken in an internal memo on whether Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons in accordance with the law. An open letter in July signed by more than 500 appointees and staffers condemned the deep humanitarian impact of U.S. policy while funding the war in Gaza.
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Lockheed Martin is leveraging advanced commercial technologies, such as artificial intelligence, edge computing and 5G.MIL® connectivity to meet the evolving challenges of a more complex battlespace. Learn more. | | | | | BIDEN’S NEIGHBORLY MEETINGS: As world leaders gather at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro today, Biden took time to meet with the U.S.’s neighbors. The White House said today that Biden met with Mexican President CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM and Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU on the sidelines of the world gathering. With Trudeau, topics included NATO, the escalating gang violence crisis in Haiti and Arctic security. And with Sheinbaum, the two discussed transnational criminal threats and the importance of maintaining cooperation on migration and security challenges. The meetings, likely Biden’s last with the leaders of the United States’ neighbors, come as all three countries worry about the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact with the return of President-elect DONALD TRUMP to the White House in January and collaborations between the three countries of North America on drug trafficking and border security. GERMANY’S NOT BUDGING: The Biden administration’s decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s usage of ATACMS missiles against Russian targets isn’t lighting a fire under weapons holdout Germany. As our own NETTE NÖSTLINGER reports, German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ reiterated today that his country will not provide Kyiv with long-range Taurus missiles. A German government spokesperson told reporters that “there are certain limits for the chancellor” and that “he does not want these long-range weapons to be delivered. This position will not change." Germany isn’t the only European country that’s less than thrilled with Biden’s decision. The Kremlin today warned the United States that the decision would be considered an “escalation” in the conflict, per our own ELENA GIORDANO. NEW INTEL PARTNERSHIP: The United States and Philippines upgraded their security pact on Monday, our own PHELIM KINE writes in. During a visit to Manila today, Secretary of Defense LLOYD AUSTIN met with his Philippine counterpart GILBERTO TEODORO and the two signed a new “General Security of Military Information” agreement. The pact will boost the sharing of intelligence and classified technologies between the two countries in a pact that is clearly meant to signal U.S. support for the Philippines in the face of military pressure from China. Tensions between Manila and Beijing continue to rise over aggressive incursions by China Coast Guard vessels into Philippine waters of the South China Sea. China, unsurprisingly, wasn’t pleased with the news. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson LIN JIAN said the agreement has the potential to “undermine regional peace or exacerbate regional tensions.” BROMANCE BOTHERS BEIJING: North Korean dictator’s KIM JONG UN’s blooming bromance with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN is vexing Kim’s longtime patrons in Beijing, a top U.S. diplomat said today. As Phelim also writes, Deputy Secretary of State KURT CAMPBELL argued at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event this morning that China is concerned that its vaunted “lips and teeth” ties with North Korea have been “usurped by a more consequential partnership between the DPRK and Russia.” Kim and Putin are bonding over the deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to the front lines of Russia’s war on Ukraine in a possible swap for advanced missile technology. And Campbell said a sign of China’s waning influence is that the U.S. is “informing China of things that they were unaware of with respect to DPRK pursuits” prompting worries in Beijing that Kim may consider “military developments that are not In China's interest.” IT’S MONDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s global security team:@dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95,@johnnysaks130, and @JGedeon1
| | | | The lame duck session could reshape major policies before year's end. Get Inside Congress delivered daily to follow the final sprint of dealmaking on defense funding, AI regulation and disaster aid. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | MAGA-WORLD’S RESTRICTIONS RESPONSE: Slowly but surely, Trump’s allies are voicing their heated opposition to the decision to remove some restrictions on Ukraine’s usage of long-range weapons. Rep. MIKE WALTZ (R-Fla.), Trump’s pick to be national security adviser, said on Fox and Friends this morning that the decision from the White House is “another up, up the escalation ladder and nobody knows where this is going.” “President Trump is talking grand strategy here. How do we get both sides to the table to end this war? What is the framework for a deal? And who is sitting at the table?” he continued. “This is an all-star team that President Trump is assembling that will think through the broader strategic issues and how do we drive this to an end to map the president promised on the campaign trail.” Waltz isn’t the only one in Trump’s orbit speaking out. Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence and ambassador to Germany RIC GRENELL criticized the decision on X. Trump’s son, DONALD TRUMP JR. also piled on.
| | | CONGRESS’ BUSY CYBER TUESDAY: Cyber policymakers on Capitol Hill have a busy Tuesday ahead of them, our friends at Weekly Cybersecurity previewed this morning. Democratic lawmakers are expected to give one of their key messaging strategies one last push before they give up control of the Senate: linking Chinese cyber threats to oversight of tech giants. Senate Judiciary subcommittee Chair RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.) is expected to raise the issue at a Tuesday hearing on Chinese cyber threats. before ranking member Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) claims the gavel in January. Hawley, a skeptic of regulating the tech industry, is expected to delink concerns about China with the conversations on the committee about holding tech companies accountable. It’s not the only cyber push gaining steam on Capitol Hill this week — efforts to streamline federal cybersecurity regulations are getting renewed attention. Rep. CLAY HIGGINS (R-La.) last week introduced a little-noticed House companion bill to the bipartisan Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act. Other lawmakers, including Sen. ANGUS KING (I-Maine), are lining up to support the Senate bill, introduced by Sens. GARY PETERS (D-Mich.) and JAMES LANKFORD (R-Okla.) this summer. And expect some drama at a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on TSA's cybersecurity posture on Tuesday, as industry representatives are expected to take divergent postures on the agency’s proposed tougher cybersecurity standards. The American Gas Association, for example, has praised the proposed rules, which other industry groups are sharply opposing, and will be represented at the hearing.
| | | | | | | | | JAPAN’S QUAD ALIGNMENTS: Tokyo is deepening its regional military reach through an agreement to joint defense training exercises with U.S. and Australian forces next year. An agreement signed Sunday in Darwin by Austin and his Japanese and Australian counterparts NAKATANI GEN and RICHARD MARLES will allow Japanese forces to join joint training including the annual Talisman Sabre 2025 exercises. That participation will boost “trilateral interoperability” between the three countries’ militaries, the Pentagon said in a statement. The agreement marks Tokyo’s increasing willingness to deepen defense cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific to offset Beijing’s expanding military footprint in the region. And it represents a new partnership between the three members of the Quad alliance, a key component of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
| | STARMER’S HUMAN RIGHTS STAND: British Prime Minister KEIR STARMER took China to task over its human rights record, and the Chinese government took it out on the Fourth Estate. At a meeting between British and Chinese officials at the G20 summit, Starmer began to mention the plight of Hong Kong businessperson and democracy advocate JIMMY LAI when Chinese officials escorted British journalists out of the room where the meeting was taking place. A video posted to X by Bloomberg TV showed a Chinese official blocking the camera and pointing them out of the room. Lai, a business magnate and British national who has donated heavily to pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong and helped create pro-democracy news outlet Apple Daily, has been under detention by Chinese authorities since April 2020 over alleged violations of the territory’s national security law. The move from Chinese officials was unusual and prompted some human rights groups to immediately call foul. The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation replied to the video on X , writing “Chinese officials are so terrified of the 76-year-old #JimmyLai that they forbid his name to be spoken in public, here banishing the press from the room in Rio.”
| | | | Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro’s Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy. | | | | | | | — The Hudson Institute announced that Palantir chief technology officer and executive vice president SHYAM SANKAR will join its board of trustees.
| | — NASSIM BADANI, New Lines Magazine: Hezbollah’s bureaucrat-in-chief — MAURÍCIO SANTORO, Americas Quarterly: Brazil’s big moment on the global stage gets complicated — ELYSSA KOREN, National Review: It’s time for an authentic human-rights agenda at the State Department
| | — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8 a.m.: The end of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees? Then what? - Gaza: The human toll. — Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.:In the name of national security: How Hong Kong's national security laws dismantle the rule of law in comparative perspective — House Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, 10 a.m.: Impacts of emergency authority cybersecurity regulations on the transportation sector — U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, 10:30 a.m.: Release of its 2024 Annual Report to Congress — New America, 12 p.m.: Virtual book discussion on "Training for Victory: U.S. Special Forces Advisory Operations from El Salvador to Afghanistan" — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1 p.m.: Firearms trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean — Senate Judiciary Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: China's cybersecurity threat. — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 2:30 p.m.: 1,000 days of Russia's war on Ukraine — Brookings Institution. 2:30 p.m.: A discussion on "hotspots, the robustness of alliances and partnerships, and the United States' technological and defense preparedness in the Indo-Pacific" with Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. SAMUEL PAPARO. — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 3:15 p.m.: Sea, land, air, and NC3 (nuclear command, control and communications): Modernizing the whole nuclear enterprise — Senate Armed Services Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, 3:15 p.m.: The activities of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who never changes policy in response to our letter-writing campaigns. Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who is organizing yet another policy to urge Heidi to change her editing practices.
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We’re enhancing our platform-centric business with a network-centric model for cross-domain interconnectivity and interoperability. From space to cyberspace, air, sea and ground – Lockheed Martin is leading the mission-centric approach. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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