Former spokesperson for the United States Department of State Matthew Miller has said that he has no doubt that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza.
He made these remarks in a podcast interview with Sky News, which was published on Monday. In the interview, Miller spoke about internal disagreements, tensions, and various challenges within the Biden administration.
Miller served as the spokesperson for the US State Department from 2023 until the end of Biden’s term. In that role, he regularly briefed the media and explained the US government’s positions on foreign policy, including issues related to Ukraine and Gaza.
When asked about accusations of genocide in Gaza, Miller responded: “I don’t believe it’s genocide. But I have no doubt that Israel committed war crimes.”
When asked why he didn’t say this while he was in office, Miller replied, “When you’re on the stage as a government spokesperson, you don’t share personal opinions. You represent the official position of the US government. At that time, the US government had not concluded that Israel committed war crimes. Even now, it hasn’t officially made that decision.”
Explaining his view further, Miller said there are two ways to look at war crimes. One is when a state deliberately follows a policy that involves war crimes. The other is when a state acts recklessly in a way that encourages or allows war crimes to happen.
Miller said he believes war crimes did happen in specific incidents, and that Israeli soldiers and military personnel were responsible for those acts.
When asked about the Biden administration’s policy on Gaza, Miller said there were both small and large disagreements within the government about the US–Israel relationship.
Miller also hinted at tension between President Biden and then–Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked about rumors that Blinken was frustrated with Biden’s handling of Gaza and Ukraine policy.
