The Biden administration was forced to delete a Saturday morning tweet from its Palestinian Affairs office calling on Israel to stand down amid a fresh wave of Hamas terror attacks that have left scores of Jews dead and the region on the cusp of war.
"We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred," wrote the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs, a diplomatic post opened by the Biden administration when it entered office and restarted relations with the Palestinian government. "We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing."
The tweet was quickly deleted following outrage from Republican lawmakers and Israel’s defenders, who accused the Biden administration of abandoning Israel and its right to self defense amid the deadliest and most sophisticated attack on the Jewish state in decades.
When the Washington Free Beacon asked about the missive on Saturday, a State Department official confirmed the tweet was erased because it "was not approved and does not represent U.S. policy."
"The United States condemns the terrorist attack against Israel and unequivocally supports Israel’s right to defend itself, as the President and Secretary have both made clear," the spokesman said.
The administration’s about-face is certain to add confusion to U.S. policy toward Israel as the country faces down one of the most dangerous situations in recent memory.
Scores of Hamas militants backed by Iran raided multiple Israeli cities on Saturday and fired thousands of rockets into the country. Dozens of Israelis have already been killed as the Jewish state’s security forces battle Hamas terrorists in around 22 locations near the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is based, according to the Associated Press.
The State Department’s initial tweet on the matter drew quick GOP anger, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) saying that "every single person involved in drafting and approving this tweet should be immediately expelled from the U.S. government."
Len Khodorkovsky, a former deputy assistant secretary of state during the Trump administration, labeled the tweet "pathetic" and said a message of that nature "emboldens the terrorists and endangers the civilians."