An initial State Department statement posted online, warning against retaliating for Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel, was quickly deleted, but it was not lost on critics like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
"This is disgraceful, and every single person involved in drafting and approving this tweet should be immediately expelled from the U.S. government," Cruz tweeted Saturday, linking to the deleted post that is no longer available on X, but was captured by media and pro-Israel lawmakers.
The post under scrutiny was made by the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs, a division of President Joe Biden's State Department.
"We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred," the deleted post read, according to reports. "We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing."
After that post was removed, the State Department had come out with an official statement supporting "Israel's right to defend itself."
"The United States unequivocally condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities," the statement read. "There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks. We will remain in close contact with our Israeli partners.
"The United States supports Israel's right to defend itself."
A State Department official told The Washington Free Beacon the initial tweet was deleted because it "was not approved and does not represent U.S. policy."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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