President Joe Biden’s support for Israel during its nearly nine-month war in Gaza has sparked controversy and led to a dozen US administration officials resigning from their positions. These officials have accused Biden of turning a blind eye to Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian enclave, leading to a growing rift within the administration.
Maryam Hassanein, a special assistant at the Department of Interior, was one of the first to resign, citing Biden’s foreign policy as “genocide-enabling” and dehumanizing towards Arabs and Muslims. Her resignation set off a chain reaction, with other officials following suit in protest of the administration’s stance on the conflict.
Mohammed Abu Hashem, a Palestinian American with a 22-year career in the US Air Force, also resigned, citing personal losses in Gaza due to the ongoing war. The toll of the conflict, which has resulted in nearly 38,000 deaths according to health officials, has deeply affected those with ties to the region.
Riley Livermore, a US Air Force engineer, expressed his discomfort with working on projects that could potentially be used to harm innocent civilians. Stacy Gilbert, who served in the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, resigned over what she perceived as false information regarding Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The resignations continued with Alexander Smith, a contractor for USAID, alleging censorship after his presentation on maternal and child mortality among Palestinians was canceled. Lily Greenberg Call, a Jewish political appointee, could not endorse what she described as the “Gaza catastrophe” and chose to step down from her role in the Interior Department.
Anna Del Castillo, a deputy director at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, became the first known White House official to leave over policy towards Gaza. Hala Rharrit, an Arabic language spokesperson for the State Department, departed her post in opposition to the United States’ Gaza policy. Annelle Sheline resigned from the State Department’s human rights bureau, unable to serve a government that she believed enabled atrocities.
Tariq Habash, a Palestinian American in the Education Department’s office of planning, criticized the Biden administration for turning a blind eye to atrocities in Gaza. Harrison Mann, a US Army major and Defense Intelligence Agency official, resigned over Gaza policy and went public with his reasons. Josh Paul, director of the State Department’s bureau of political military affairs, left citing Washington’s “blind support” for Israel.
The wave of resignations highlights the deep divisions within the Biden administration over its handling of the conflict in Gaza. While the administration denies accusations of turning a blind eye to Israeli atrocities, the growing number of officials stepping down in protest indicates a significant level of dissent within the ranks.
As the conflict in Gaza continues to escalate and civilian casualties mount, the pressure on President Biden to reassess his support for Israel is mounting. The resignations of these officials serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of war and the ethical dilemmas faced by those in positions of power. The fallout from these resignations may have far-reaching implications for US foreign policy and its relationship with Israel moving forward.