US officials who quit over Gaza urge 2028 presidential hopefuls not to hire war supporters

A group of US officials who resigned in protest from former president Joe Biden's government over US support for Israel amid the Gaza war have called on 2028 presidential hopefuls not to hire people "responsible for genocide". Several former Biden White House and State Department officials and employees <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/03/28/resignation-of-us-state-department-official-annelle-sheline-highlights-rifts-over-gaza-war/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/03/28/resignation-of-us-state-department-official-annelle-sheline-highlights-rifts-over-gaza-war/">resigned in 2024</a> as Washington continued to send weapons and aid to Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/benjamin-netanyahu" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>'s government.

"US officials take a solemn oath to the Constitution and to the American people," the signatories to the letter said. "When they break that oath by violating our laws, our interests and our most basic values, we need to hold them accountable." They accused senior Biden administration officials who were "architects" of the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/gaza" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/gaza">Gaza</a> policy of "actively white-washing" their roles.

"We call on candidates for the 2028 presidential nomination to commit to not hire any administration official directly responsible for enabling <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/26/gaza-ceasefire-genocide-un/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/26/gaza-ceasefire-genocide-un/">Israel’s military actions in Gaza</a>," the letter read. "When faced with the opportunity to stand up in defence of our laws, they not only stayed silent but worked resolutely in pursuit of illegal and wrongful ends in violation of both US and international law."

Signatory <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/04/04/state-department-official-resigns-citing-hypocrisy-of-us-support-for-israel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/04/04/state-department-official-resigns-citing-hypocrisy-of-us-support-for-israel/">Annelle Sheline</a>, a former State Department employee, told<i> the National </i>after her resignation in April 2024 that US support for Israel made it "so difficult" to promote human rights in the Middle East.

“I wasn't really able to do my job any more, the job I'd been hired to do. And on the other hand, I didn't want to be associated with this government any more," Ms Sheline said back then. Although the election is still two years away, speculation is already swirling over who might try to make a run for the White House. While Republican politicians still tend to publicly support Israel, progressive Democrats have been outspoken in their criticism of the long-time American ally. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/10/29/us-election-poll-data-middle-east-voters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/10/29/us-election-poll-data-middle-east-voters/">Kamala Harris</a>, Mr Biden's vice president, faced major challenges with progressive voters over her involvement in the administration.

"We remind all US officials of their duties and responsibilities to follow the law, and more than that, to always remember the awesome privilege of their position, and the opportunity it presents, every day, in circumstances both easy and difficult, to do the right thing," the letter said.