‘Moving the Needle’
But despite this growing standoff between the two governments, some believe the US has done little to pressure its ally to change course in Gaza.
Sheline was the first to share her account The Washington Post, was hired as part of an Arabic language fellowship associated with a Ph.D. to serve as a foreign affairs officer in the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. program — and he left last week halfway through his two-year contract.
Shelain said U.S. policy toward Israel has made his work “almost impossible,” either because civil society groups are reluctant to contact U.S. officials about the country’s support for Israel or because contact with the U.S. government puts them at greater risk. they were afraid that he would throw. .
Sheline said she tried to voice her displeasure internally, sign dissenting cables and speak to her superiors as well as in open forums, but to no avail.
“Personally, I didn’t expect to make policy, but it became clear that moving the needle a little from the inside was not going to work,” he said.
State Department spokesman Matt Miller acknowledged the diversity of internal views on the war in Gaza, but said that while Secretary of State Anthony Blinken welcomed staff to “speak out and challenge their thinking,” that did not mean it would lead to change. in US politics.
Miller told reporters Wednesday that it ultimately depends on President Joe Biden and senior leaders in his administration.
Shelain is the second State Department official to publicly resign, citing U.S. policy against Israel since the war, which began nearly six months ago after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed and about 260 hostages taken. More than 100 prisoners are still being held in Gaza.
In October, veteran State Department official Josh Paul left Citing the “blind support” of the United States to Israel, he wrote to the Agency’s Political-Military Affairs Bureau after more than ten years.
The decision to pursue Sheline’s claim came suddenly The Gallup poll was released on Wednesday found that an increasing number of Americans now oppose Israel’s military operation in Gaza, a clear shift in US views.
The requestit was revealed as a result of investigations conducted from March 1 to March 20 55% of respondents disapproved of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and 45% disapproved in November.
The share of those in favor of Israel’s actions fell from 50% in November to 36% in March, while the percentage of those who said they had no position rose from 4% to 9%.
The poll, which polled 1,016 adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
This came before the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire for the remainder of Ramadan, which ends on Monday, April 9.
With a change of approach, the US allowed the resolution to pass.
Sheline said he is concerned that upholding the rule of law has become a political issue for an administration elected on a promise to restore U.S. leadership on everything from human rights to international institutions to climate change.
“I continue to be appalled by the largely unconditional support and ensuring a steady flow of arms to Israel is seen as more important than all of these extremely important issues,” Sheline said.
Chantal Da Silva reported from Tel Aviv and Abigail Williams from Washington.
Jay Marquez and Ammar Sheikh Omar contributed.