This image taken from Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip exhibits an Israeli military tank shifting alongside the border with the Palestinian territory on March 20.

Jack Guez/AFP through Getty Images

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Jack Guez/AFP through Getty Images

This image taken from Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip exhibits an Israeli military tank shifting alongside the border with the Palestinian territory on March 20.

Jack Guez/AFP through Getty Images

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Biden administration is worried Israel is making a “major strategic error” by denying “major, possibly generational damage” to Israel’s repute worldwide over its battle in Gaza, in response to a State Department memo obtained by NPR.

Assistant Secretary of State Bill Russo, overseeing international public affairs within the State Department, advised Israeli international ministry officers in a name on March 13 that each the U.S. and Israel face a “major credibility problem” on account of the “unpopular” Israeli army offensive in Gaza, in response to a U.S. readout of the dialog.

“The Israelis seemed oblivious to the fact that they are facing major, possibly generational damage to their reputation not just in the region but elsewhere in the world,” the memo says. “We are concerned that the Israelis are missing the forest for the trees and are making a major strategic error in writing off their reputation damage.”

The State Department memo beneficial urgent Israeli officers on the matter “at the highest levels.”

The stark variations between the international locations’ views replicate a widening rift between Israel and its largest ally over Israel’s conduct within the battle, as Palestinian civilians face steady bombing, mass displacement and excessive starvation.

The discord deepened Friday as Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. Blinken urged Netanyahu to not launch an Israeli operation within the metropolis of Rafah.

“It risks killing more civilians, it risks wreaking greater havoc with the provision of humanitarian assistance, it risks further isolating Israel around the world and jeopardizing its long-term security and standing,” Blinken mentioned.

Netanyahu mentioned Israel would perform the Rafah operation — with out U.S. help, if needed.

According to final week’s memo obtained by NPR, Israeli international ministry Deputy Director General Emmanuel Nahshon disagreed with the U.S. evaluation that Israel’s international repute was broken. He mentioned public opinion polls discovered a “silent majority” of individuals within the U.S. and Europe proceed to help Israel, and blamed TikTok’s algorithm, which he claimed favors pro-Palestinian content material, for turning younger individuals in opposition to Israel.

The Israeli authorities has solicited influencers to assist goal social media customers within the U.S. and Europe to counter denial about atrocities dedicated within the Oct. 7 Hamas assault. Israel plans the same social media marketing campaign quickly in Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Arab international locations, the memo mentioned.

Israeli international ministry officers mentioned the “silver lining” of the Oct. 7 assault is that it “now allows Israel to see who its real friends are,” in response to the abstract of the dialog within the State Department memo.

In response to an NPR request, the Israeli international ministry mentioned it had no touch upon the U.S. memo. The State Department additionally declined to remark.

The Israel-Hamas battle is in its sixth month. It was sparked by the Hamas-led ambush on southern Israel — the deadliest day in Israeli historical past — when hundreds of attackers from Gaza took practically 250 hostages and killed greater than 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, in response to Israel.

But it’s Israel’s persevering with army response in Gaza — the deadliest battle in Gaza’s historical past — that has sparked giant protests in opposition to the battle in Gaza in U.S. cities and Arab and European capitals.

Israel’s air and floor offensive in opposition to Hamas in Gaza has killed greater than 32,000 Palestinians, in response to Gaza well being officers, who don’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Three-quarters of Gaza’s inhabitants has been displaced, in response to the U.N, and the world’s high consultants in international starvation warn that Gaza faces imminent famine.