A senior US State Department official serving as deputy assistant for Israel-Palestine affairs resigned from his post, citing family obligations, according to a report by the Washington Post on Friday.
Andrew Miller told his colleagues he had seen his family “sparingly” amid the Israeli war on Gaza that has been going on for more than eight months, as reported by the newspaper.
Miller is now the most senior official with an Israel-Palestine portfolio to step down from his job since the war on Gaza began in October.
The Post further reported that Miller was one of the officials in the administration who recognized the risks of President Joe Biden’s administration’s “bear hug” strategy, referring to the full-fledged support Washington gave to ‘Israel’ after it launched a war on Gaza following the 7 October attacks by Hamas.
“Andrew brought deep experience and sharp perspective to the table every day,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the Post. “Everyone here is sorry to see him go, but we wish him well in his next endeavors.”
While Miller did not cite the war as his reason for leaving, he joins more than a dozen staffers and officials across the Biden administration who have left – the latter individuals have cited their opposition to the war as their reason for resigning.
Earlier this week, the Intercept reported that a 16-year veteran of the US air force was resigning from his job because of the war.
Last month, two officials of Jewish heritage, one in the White House and another in the Pentagon, also resigned, similarly citing Washington’s support for the war on Gaza.
And in March, Annelle Sheline, a foreign affairs officer in the State Department, resigned from her position. Sheline said she tried raising concerns about US support for Israel through dissent cables and speaking up at staff meetings, but noted it was pointless “as long as the US continues to send a steady stream of weapons to Israel”.
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