Tariq Habash, a senior political appointee of President Joe Biden at the ED, has become the second high-profile official to leave the current administration. The Palestinian-American Christian cited the White House's failure to condemn the "genocidal campaign" of the Israeli government against innocent Palestinians.
In his resignation letter, Habash – formerly the special assistant in the ED's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development – accused the administration of turning a blind eye to the atrocities in Gaza and lamented the erasure of his identity amid the ongoing conflict.
"As a Palestinian-American, I bring a critical and underrepresented perspective to the ongoing work on equity and justice. But now, the actions of the Biden administration have put millions of innocent lives in danger, most immediately for the 2.3 million Palestinian civilians living in Gaza who remain under continuous assault and ethnic cleansing by the Israeli government," he wrote. "Therefore, I must resign."
"For 75 years, my relatives have never been allowed to return to their familial homes. Millions of Palestinians have faced decades of occupation, ethnic cleansing and apartheid, and the Biden administration's passive acceptance of this status quo is wholly out of line with democratic values. Our government continues to provide unconditional military funding to a government that is uninterested in protecting innocent lives."
Habash argued that he "cannot be quietly complicit as this administration fails to leverage its influence as Israel’s strongest ally to halt the abusive and ongoing collective punishment tactics that have cut off Palestinians in Gaza from food, water, electricity, fuel and medical supplies – leading to widespread disease and starvation."
Biden facing discontent from both his party and the public
Habash's resignation underscores the growing discontent within the Biden administration regarding its stance on the Israel-Hamas war. The administration has resisted calls for a ceasefire despite the three-month-long offensive that resulted in a humanitarian disaster, with over 22,000 Palestinians killed and more than 80 percent of the Gaza Strip's population displaced.
Tensions within the administration and Congress have reportedly escalated in recent months, with officials expressing frustration over Biden's approach to the conflict. In October of last year, officials at the Department of State were said to be preparing a dissent cable demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and truthful public messaging to address the crisis.
In November, more than 500 alumni of the Biden election campaign penned a letter urging a ceasefire. White House interns followed suit in early December, sending a letter to Biden that called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The interns' letter also condemned the "ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people."
Moreover, a recent poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College shows that 48 percent of young Americans believe Israel is intentionally killing civilians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Related: Biden: Israel LOSING SUPPORT across the globe due to indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.)
According to the poll, three-quarters of young Americans stated that Israel is not doing enough to avoid civilian casualties. This sentiment reflects a broader dissatisfaction with how Biden handles the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with over 70 percent of young respondents expressing disapproval.
The poll reveals a generational division among younger Americans and those aged 65 and above. The older age group tends to support the continued backing of the military campaign in Israel, while younger individuals, ages 18 to 29 years old, are more critical. Nearly 70 percent of the younger respondents believe that Israel should stop the war even without securing the hostages and eliminating Hamas. Additionally, 46 percent of young people sympathized with the Palestinians, compared to the 27 percent who sympathized with Israel.
Watch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he stresses the need to root out Hamas completely.
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