Andrew Miller cited family reasons, but his resignation is the latest in a series of departures from the Biden administration since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
A senior US State Department official and expert on Israeli-Palestinian affairs resigned this week, US media reported, amid an eight-month war in Gaza that has killed more than 37,400 Palestinians.
Andrew Miller, assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, cited personal reasons for his decision to leave his post, the Washington Post newspaper reported Friday.
Miller told colleagues he wanted to spend more time with his family because the current conflict that began in October had “become all-consuming,” according to the report.
He was skeptical of U.S. President Joe Biden’s approach to the Israeli government, said the Post, which was first to report Miller’s departure.
Miller’s is the latest in a series of resignations from the Biden administration at several government agencies over Washington’s continued support for Israel.
The Post adds, however, that Miller told colleagues that without his personal responsibilities, he would have preferred to keep his job, including in areas where he disagreed with administration policy.
Reporting from Washington DC, Tel Aviv Tribune’s Kimberly Halkett said this underscored growing frustration within the Biden administration over the president’s unwavering support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
“There have already been a number of high-profile resignations, where those who resigned said that in some cases the president was distorting the facts or even turning a blind eye, or was complicit in the 37,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza. ” Halkett said.
Miller played a key role in the executive order issued in February that resulted in the imposition of sanctions against several Israeli settlers for attacking Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, CNN reported.
He previously served as senior policy advisor to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and director for Egyptian and Israeli military matters at the White House National Security Council during the Obama administration.
In May, Maj. Harrison Mann, a former U.S. Army officer, said he resigned several months ago because of his country’s “wholehearted support” for Israel’s war in Gaza. He left the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in November.
American aviator Aaron Bushnell died after setting himself on fire during a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, in February.
Thousands of people demonstrated outside the White House against the war, and such events are likely to continue as the November presidential election approaches.
“We also expect further protests when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of Congress next month. We already know that a large number of members of Congress are considering boycotting this speech,” Halkett said.
