This incident illustrates the deep divisions that the war in Gaza has created within American government institutions.
The CIA has stressed to its agents that they should refrain from any political statements on social media after one of its senior officials shared a pro-Palestinian photo on Facebook.
The intelligence agency’s deputy deputy director for analysis changed Facebook’s cover photo to one of a man waving a Palestinian flag on October 21, two weeks after Israel launched an all-out offensive against the Palestinian group Hamas, the Financial Times reported.
The officer reportedly deleted the post, along with another previously shared image with the words “Free Palestine,” after being contacted by the media.
The agency has since sent an internal memo reiterating its policy against political posts on social media, NBC News reported.
The CIA is the principal foreign intelligence agency of the United States, responsible for providing intelligence and analysis to the president.
The official at the center of the recent social media incident had previously led the development of a top-secret document called the President’s Daily Brief, the Financial Times reported.
Posting politically charged content on social media is highly unusual for officials with such sensitive intelligence functions.
Deep divisions
The senior CIA officer’s social media post highlights deep divisions within the US government over President Joe Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, which has killed some 15,000 Palestinians and left in ruins much of the besieged Gaza Strip.
While Biden has offered unwavering support to the Israeli government, despite the rising death toll, hundreds of government officials and former campaign staff have signed open letters urging him to push for a ceasefire. fire in order to protect the Palestinians.
The social media incident also comes after other US government officials faced backlash for their public comments on the war in Gaza.
Last week, a former US State Department official was arrested after videos showing him harassing a halal food vendor in New York and calling for the deaths of more Palestinian children went viral on social media.
