New Delhi: Former US government officials have called President Joe Biden’s policy on the Israel-Hamas war a failure, arguing that it had put a “target on America’s back” and threatened Washington’s interests in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, twelve former US government officials — from the American civil service, foreign service, White House and armed forces — issued a strongly-worded statement where they made recommendations on how Washington should shape its policy on the Gaza war going forward.
One of these was the suspension of American security assistance to Israel under Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act (1961). This, they said, should be done due to Israel’s alleged obstruction of US-funded humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
Apart from receiving annual military aid of roughly $4 billion, Israel has also received additional war funding from the US amounting to approximately $17 billion.
Some of the former officials who signed the statement include Josh Paul, former director of the US State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and Anna Del Castillo, former political appointee and deputy director of the Office of Management & Administration at the White House.
Since the war in Gaza began following Hamas’ attack on Israel last October, all twelve have resigned in protest of the US’s approach to the region.
Their statement comes ahead of the US presidential elections slated for November this year, in which Biden is seeking a second term against Republican rival Donald Trump.
‘Put a target on America’s back’
“The Administration’s policy in Gaza is a failure and a threat to U.S. national security. America’s diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to, Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza,” read the statement by former US government officials.
“This…has also put a target on America’s back…[and] risks national security and the lives of our service members and diplomats,” it added, citing the killing of three US service members in Jordan in January in a drone strike.
At the time, the Biden administration said the attack was carried out by Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.
In their statement, the former government officials criticised Washington’s decision to cut off funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and Israel’s use of American weapons in its military operation in Gaza.
Apart from suspending security assistance to Israel, they recommended Washington express immediate support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination, an end to Israeli “military occupation and settlements” in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and a request to the departments of Education and Justice to take steps to protect free speech and nonviolent protests in American college campuses.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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