Hala Gharit, the former Arabic spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, announced her reasons for resigning from her position a few days ago. Gharit stepped down "in protest against Washington's policy regarding the war in Gaza," marking at least the third similar resignation from the State Department due to this crisis. She told CNN that "I had every intention of continuing my career to the highest levels. I had no intention of resigning at all." However, she added that "the U.S. government's policy on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza unfortunately changed that."
She affirmed that she and her colleagues "were fully aware there would be a strong response to Hamas's attack on October 7," but she continued, "I don't think anyone expected the result would be 34,000 dead and famine conditions in Gaza." The American diplomat stated that there was no specific incident that prompted her resignation, but it was "a buildup of events throughout the war and the growing feeling that her warnings about destabilizing policies were not being heeded."
She expressed concern that "we are fundamentally on the wrong side of history and harming our interests." Gharit also pointed to "double standards" in U.S. policy regarding the effects of the war, including the humanitarian crisis and the killing of Palestinian journalists in Gaza. She noted, "Through polls, we have seen an increase in anti-American sentiment, and our popularity has declined across the region, including in countries where we had wonderful relations." She explained, "The idea of Americans being involved in the killing of civilians in Gaza is very difficult and devastating for diplomats who have to admit it themselves."
