Administration official departs due to perceived American backing of Israel's alleged acts of genocide.
A politico named Lily Greenberg Call, hailing from American-Jewish descent, tendered her resignation from her Interior Department post on a Wednesday, attributing her decision to the Biden administration's continuous backing of Israel's rampage against Gaza.
In her resignation letter, shared with Middle East Eye, Greenberg Call, who was previously an assistant to the chief of staff at the interior ministry, proclaimed, "I can no longer fight for an administration supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza."
She further voiced her disapproval, stating, "My Jewish upbringing has taught me every life is precious—we should stand up for those confronting violence and injustice."
Prior to her stint at the Interior Department, Greenberg Call was part of Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign team before joining the Joe Biden presidential campaign in 2020. She was exhilarated to join the Interior Department because of its commitment to progressive causes.
However, the ongoing Gaza war and the United States' backing of said conflict prompted a change in her career perspective.
On October 7, Palestinian fighters, led by Hamas, initiated an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of over 200 people.
In response, Israel declared war on the besieged Palestinian enclave, launching airstrikes followed by a ground invasion.
Israeli forces have reportedly annihilated more than 35,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, as per the Palestinian health ministry. Israeli military actions have also obliterated civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as well as targeted medical workers, journalists, and humanitarian aid providers.
The loss of loved ones in the October 7 attacks and Israel's collective punishment strategy against Palestinians through expulsion, famine, and ethnic cleansing, as per Greenberg Call, prompted her to resign from her position in the Biden Administration.
"Our safety, as Jews, cannot—and should not—come at the expense of Palestinian freedom," she asserted.
Eight months into the war, with the Biden administration allegedly planning to dispatch another billion dollars in weaponry to Israel, and Israel commencing a fresh military offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, Greenberg Call believed it was time to step down.
In a conversation with Middle East Eye, she stated, "I've thought about quitting for some time, but the recent events have made it evident that now is the right moment."
Interestingly, Greenberg Call's resignation coincided with the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, a day commemorating the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Zionist paramilitaries in 1948, which eventually paved the way for the inception of Israel.
"Nakba and Shoah, the Hebrew term for Holocaust, signify the same thing: catastrophe. I reject the premise that one people's salvation must come at the cost of another," she expressed.
Greenberg Call's resignation is the culmination of a multi-year personal voyage for her, during which she served as the president of Bears for Israel, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's affiliate group at the University of California-Berkeley, from 2017 to 2019.
In an article published in Teen Vogue in 2022, she recounted how, growing up, she was taught to provide unwavering support for Israel as a part of her Jewish identity. However, after learning about the living conditions of Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territory, she severed ties with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), as their policies were deemed apartheid-like by Israeli and international human rights groups.
Greenberg Call's resignation marks the second such incident in a week, with Major Harrison Mann, of the Defense Intelligence Agency, tendering his resignation due to the administration's backing of the war in Gaza. Mann also cited his European Jewish ancestry as a primary factor in his resignation.
In March, Annelle Sheline, a State Department foreign affairs officer, resigned due to her frustration with the lack of action on curbing US support for Israel. Sheline had attempted to raise concerns about US support for Israel through dissent cables and speaking up at staff meetings, but she eventually realized it was futile "as long as the US continues to provide Israel with a steady stream of weapons."
Just one month later, in April, Hala Rharrit, a State Department Arabic language spokesperson, resigned over Washington's Gaza conflict policy, ending her 18 years of service in the government. The same month, Tariq Habash, a senior political appointee at the Department of Education, resigned, lamenting the dehumanization and erasure of his Palestinian identity by his colleagues, media, and his own government.
All the resigning individuals have expressed discontent at the administration's reluctance to use any real leverage to influence Israel's actions. Legal experts have highlighted the potential violation of international law by Israel during its war in Gaza, which could eventually halt arms sales to the nation. Nevertheless, the Biden administration continues to supply Israel with unconditional military support, which has been justified by top officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk.
Greenberg Call expressed hope that her resignation and those of similar individuals, such as Habash, would prompt other administration appointees to publicly disavow their positions in protest against the Biden administration's unwavering backing for the Gaza war.
"There are numerous individuals within the administration who do not concur with the president's choices, and I hope that the resignations will inspire others to publicly leave their positions in protest," Greenberg Call told Middle East Eye.
She further stated, "I also hope that the resignations will inspire improved solidarity with the Palestinians."
- Lily Greenberg Call, in her resignation letter to Middle East Eye, criticized the Biden administration's continued support for Israel's actions in Gaza, stating, "I can no longer fight for an administration supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza."
- Greenberg Call's resignation was influenced by the ongoing war in Gaza and the United States' support for it, which resulted in the death of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of over 200 people, as well as the reported annihilation of more than 35,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
- In her resignation, Greenberg Call also expressed her disapproval of Israel's actions, including targeting medical workers, journalists, and humanitarian aid providers, and its collective punishment strategy against Palestinians through expulsion, famine, and ethnic cleansing.
- The loss of loved ones in the October 7 attacks and the ongoing war in Gaza led Greenberg Call to assert, "Our safety, as Jews, cannot—and should not—come at the expense of Palestinian freedom."
- Greenberg Call's resignation is part of a growing trend among administration appointees who are expressing discontent with the Biden administration's unwavering backing for the Gaza war, and she hopes that her resignation and others like it will inspire improved solidarity with the Palestinians and prompt other administration appointees to publicly disavow their positions in protest.
