Tariq Habash said it was “the only thing” he could do.
A Palestinian-American and political appointee at the U.S. Department of Education, Habash made headlines last week when he became the second official to publicly resign from President Joe Biden’s administration over his response to the war in Gaza.
Since October, Israel has bombed the Palestinian enclave, killing more than 23,210 people. But the White House continued to express strong support for Israel, its main ally in the Middle East.
Habash said he resigned because he could no longer “represent an administration that does not value all human lives equally.”
“I cannot remain silent while this administration turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed against innocent Palestinians, in what leading human rights experts have called a genocidal campaign by the Israeli government,” he said. he wrote in his resignation letter.
Other members of the administration and former Biden campaign aides have also spoken out since the war began on October 7, following Hamas attacks in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people . In letters and other statements, staffers urged the president to demand a ceasefire.
Yet while Biden and his top officials have called on Israel to do more to minimize civilian casualties, Washington remains opposed to a ceasefire. The United States stands with Israel in its mission to “ensure that October 7 never happens again,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
Tel Aviv Tribune host Nick Clark spoke to Habash about his decision to resign and the effect of US support for Israel on the Palestinians as the war on Gaza continues.
Tel Aviv Tribune: What comes to mind when you hear Blinken singing the same old song when he speaks from Israel, essentially supporting Israel’s efforts in Gaza with US-supplied weapons? United ?
Tariq Habash: It’s hard to hear. Unfortunately, we are in a situation where indiscriminate bombing against more than 2 million people in Gaza has continued for more than three months now. And it’s clear that the message and the policy aren’t really changing.
I think it is clearly recognized that there is too much violence, too much harm, that has fallen on innocent Palestinian lives, but we still fail to recognize the humanity and the right to life of these Palestinians . And it’s hard to hear.
Tel Aviv Tribune: You held an important position in the Biden administration. Explain to us, if you will, why you ultimately made the decision you did.
Habash: For me, as a Palestinian American, as a Palestinian man, and as a Palestinian Christian, my identity is closely tied to everything that happened.
And the reality is that there has been an almost daily dehumanizing effect of our current (US) policy and what is allowed to persist in terms of aggression against Palestinian lives.
For weeks, I used every means possible to express my concerns about these policies, to emphasize the importance of humanizing Palestinians – Palestinian men too, Palestinian Christians who now constitute a significant minority in the region.
This message fell on deaf ears, and it was clear that the only thing I could do in this moment to emphasize my dismay, my concern with the current policies was to resign.
Tel Aviv Tribune: When you say it fell on deaf ears, what actually happened? Have people told you to shut up and not talk about it? How did this happen?
Habash: It wasn’t necessarily like, “Keep quiet.” The White House held listening sessions, policy briefings, which were primarily about giving us their assessment of the region – of the situation as it was unfolding.
Within the Department of Education, there was a great understanding, even from the Secretary himself, who I met and spoke with on numerous occasions, about how violence m ‘affected on a personal level. There has been a lot of patience and constant support from my own building.
But I think being able to communicate about this topic on a personal level is very different from recognizing how broader policies affect millions of people in the region — and also millions of Americans who largely support ending this violence and a permanent ceasefire.
Tel Aviv Tribune: It must have been extremely difficult for you to hear what your boss, the president, was actually saying when he said, for example, that he didn’t necessarily trust the Palestinian death toll figures.
Habash: Absolutely. I talk about it in my (resignation) letter.
There are some things that I think are really dangerous rhetoric used by the administration over the last three months that has enabled and facilitated the level of destruction against the Gaza Strip and the millions of people who live there. Today.
Tel Aviv Tribune: You spoke about growing support for the Palestinian cause in the United States. Protesters interrupted President Biden’s speech yesterday in South Carolina. We’ll likely see more of that this election year. How much do you think this will affect Democrats’ hopes in the election polls?
Habash: I think it’s up to the president and the Democratic Party in general to make a decision, but I think we’re seeing that affect that (support for Democrats) right now.
As you said, there were protests outside the (South Carolina) church where the president spoke. Protests took place across New York City and closed four different tunnels and bridges.
This is something that we’re starting to see more and more of because I think the soul of the American people really believes in an end to the violence here. We find that a majority of Americans support a ceasefire. We see the vast majority of the Democratic base – young voters, voters of color – who don’t believe current policies reflect their values.
The president has spoken frequently in the past week about what 2024 would mean in terms of protecting democracy against authoritarian rule, which would be possible under (former president and 2024 Republican front-runner Donald) Trump.
This is a very important and critical message, but I think it is also inconsistent with what the president is doing in terms of his deference to the Israeli government’s authoritarian, right-wing rule and its oppression of millions of Palestinians.
Tel Aviv Tribune: Democrats can disagree with President Biden all they want, but what will they do? Will they just turn around and vote for Trump?
Habash: I think it’s up to the president to decide how important his constituents are and to understand that they truly value human life, regardless of whose life it is.
It’s clear that current policies place restrictions on when Palestinian lives matter or not, and I think that’s a problem for voters.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.