Three additional US officials, including two from the military, have resigned in protest against Washington’s support for Israeli military operations in Gaza, as reported by US media on Sunday.
Larry Hebert and Juan Bettancourt announced their resignations, citing their discomfort with the US military’s involvement in the conflict. This follows the resignation of Andrew Miller, a senior State Department official and expert on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, who criticized the Biden administration’s policies amid the ongoing eight-month conflict in Gaza.
The death of six-year-old Hind Rajab in February, trapped under Israeli fire in Gaza, spurred US Airman Larry Hebert Jr. to seek conscientious objector status. Hebert expressed his dismay, noting the resemblance between Rajab and his daughter, and criticized the US’s support for Israeli actions.
Senior US Airman Juan Bettancourt, after witnessing the devastation in Gaza, declared his inability to ignore the US’s role in supplying weapons, providing diplomatic support, and offering intelligence to Israel. Both Hebert and Bettancourt described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and highlighted the emotional toll the conflict was taking on Americans.
Their resignations add to nearly a dozen others, including Josh Paul, Harrison Mann, Tariq Habash, Annelle Sheline, Hala Rharrit, Lily Greenberg, Alex Smith, and Stacy Gilbert, who have left in protest of US policies. This growing dissent within the government underscores increasing controversy and division over America’s foreign policy in the region.
In February, Aaron Bushnell, a member of the US Air Force, set himself on fire in protest against US support for Israel and later died from his injuries.
Andrew Miller, who had been critical of President Biden’s unwavering support for Israel, played a significant role in the executive order sanctioning Israeli settlers for attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Previously, he served as a senior policy adviser to the US ambassador to the UN and directed Egypt and Israel military issues on the National Security Council during the Obama administration.
In May, Major Harrison Mann resigned from the US Defense Intelligence Agency, denouncing the US’s “unqualified support” for Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Biden administration has yet to respond to these resignations and the broader criticism of its support for Israeli military actions.
