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A high-ranking official at the US Department of Education, chosen by President Joe Biden, has stepped down from their position due to disagreement with the administration’s backing of Israel’s ongoing aggression and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
Tariq Habash resigned from his position as education secretary on Wednesday, stating that he could not continue to work for an administration that does not value all human life equally. In his letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Habash expressed his sorrow for the violence against innocent individuals and mourned the losses of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr Habash, the only Palestinian-American political appointee at the agency, served as special assistant to the Education Department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. He is the second Biden administration official to resign over US support for Israel’s retaliatory bombardments and ongoing siege in the wake of Hamas attacks on October 7.
After numerous memos expressing disagreement from various members of the administration, appointed officials, White House and Biden campaign employees, and congressional staff, he has decided to resign. These memos have called for US assistance in achieving a ceasefire to address the growing death toll, which has now reached over 21,000 according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Mr. Habash expressed his concern about the current administration’s disregard for the violence against Palestinian civilians. This has been described by human rights experts as a genocidal campaign led by the Israeli government. He shared his thoughts in a letter with The Independent.
He stated that he will not remain silent while the Biden administration does not use its power as Israel’s strongest supporter to halt the retaliatory attacks and blockade that have resulted in Palestinians in Gaza being deprived of necessary resources such as food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies.
A representative from the Department stated that they hope for the best for him in his future pursuits.
In the previous month, over 800 employees of the Biden administration reiterated their plea for the president to urgently aid in achieving a ceasefire, freeing all hostages, and decreasing violence in Gaza.
A correspondence directed to Mr. Biden received backing from employees in 30 different departments and agencies.
Many employees at the US State Department have written memos to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing their criticism of the administration’s handling of Israel’s military actions.
Last month, Josh Paul, who gained attention for his resignation letter from the State Department in October expressing concern over unquestioning backing of Israel’s military actions, stood with other Biden administration workers outside the White House to deliver a statement on behalf of the Administration Staffers for Ceasefire coalition.
The statement encouraged the United States to act quickly in order to save as many lives as possible.
A group of over 1,000 officials from the US Agency for International Development, one of the largest aid organizations globally, has written a new letter authorized by Congress, calling for President Biden’s backing of a ceasefire.
Many Democratic staffers in Congress have urged their superiors to back a ceasefire. Over 60 members of Congress, including at least three senators, have joined in on these requests.
Josh Paul, a former member of the State Department, stepped down due to disagreement with the US’s backing of Israel’s current strikes in Gaza. In December, he joined Biden administration employees in a protest urging for a cessation of hostilities.
Mr. Habash, a Palestinian-American man from a long line of Palestinian Christians, faces daily dehumanization and erasure of his identity from his peers, the media, and his own government.
He added, “My family experienced the Nakba in 1948, during which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcefully and violently evicted from their homes. My grandparents, aunts, and uncles had to walk over 35 miles from Yaffa to Lydda, and eventually to Ramallah, in order to survive. For the past 75 years, my relatives have been denied the right to return to their ancestral homes. Millions of Palestinians have endured years of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, and the Biden administration’s passive acceptance of this situation goes against democratic principles.”
He criticized the provision of military funding without conditions to a government that shows no concern for safeguarding the lives of innocent individuals. This came after the deaths of numerous children, as well as journalists, healthcare workers, and UN staff members.
Mr. Habash stated that these deaths are not fair. They go against our responsibility as caretakers of our country’s tax money, they go against our duty to follow international humanitarian law, and they go against basic human decency.
He called on the Education Department to take an “active stance” in aiding Jewish, Muslim, and Arab individuals on college campuses, which includes safeguarding their First Amendment rights to show support for Palestinians in Gaza who have endured significant suffering in recent weeks and throughout the ongoing violence.
“I want to make it clear that I find antisemitism, anti-Palestinian sentiment, and Islamophobia to be repulsive,” he stated. “However, it is important to distinguish that criticizing the actions of the Israeli government and their disregard for international humanitarian laws is not the same as being antisemitic. Attempts to equate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism are merely trying to silence opposition towards a foreign government.”
On January 3rd, Palestinians in Gaza observed a damaged building caused by an airstrike carried out by Israel.
The nation of South Africa has filed a formal complaint with the United Nations International Court of Justice, alleging that Israel has committed acts of genocide.
The recent accusation presented at the International Criminal Court in The Hague claims that Israel’s actions and lack of action in Gaza have genocidal intentions and are targeted towards the destruction of the Palestinian people as a whole, including their national, racial, and ethnic group.
On Wednesday, John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, dismissed the accusations as unfounded and counterproductive, lacking any factual basis.
On 22 December, the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution pressing for the safe passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza after several days of US-led negotiations over language in the final draft.
The council did not pass a resolution demanding an immediate end to violence. Instead, they approved a weaker measure that focused on “establishing the necessary circumstances for a lasting peace”.
The United States and Russia ultimately refrained from casting a vote in favor.
Source: independent.co.uk
