Delay of US genocide report on ‘israel’ sparks wave of resignations (updated)

Muhammad Amin

Officials are resigning in droves from the US state department as America fails to hold “israel” accountable for its continuing Gaza genocide.

In the latest outrage, the White House has backed down from releasing a report, due today (Wed), detailing “Israeli” violations of international humanitarian law.

The report, months in the preparation, will determine if the US can continue legally supplying “israel” with weapons and aid.

Under a 1997 congressional act known as the Leahy Laws, when the US finds credible evidence that a unit of foreign security forces has committed gross human rights abuses, any US aid to that unit is supposed to be automatically suspended.

However, three senate aides and a White House aide have told Politico the report has been “delayed”.

Observers say the delay could indicate the report is either too strong for some – or too weak for others.

The Biden administration has come under withering fire throughout the Gaza genocide for failing to implement the Israel Leahy laws.

It has steadfastly refused to recognise “israel’s” blatant violations of humanitarian law. “israel’s” attacks on hospitals, women and children have been waved away, its well-publicised atrocities wrapped up in the all-forgiving euphemism “’israel’ has the right to defend itself”.

Even as the US called out at the UN Sudanese genocide as early as December, it has stubbornly refused to admit to “israel’s” well-publicised genocide.

Now, it’s holding onto a report that could blow wide open “israel’s” claim of self-defence.

Without giving any clear reason for today’s delay, the Biden administration told The Hill in an email  it would miss the deadline. According to the email, the report is “briefly delayed” with no specification of a new timeline.

State department spokesman Matthew Miller responded the deadline was not a legal requirement, but “a self-imposed one”.

He indicated the report would be delayed by a week, Politico reported.

That reassurance has done nothing to dampen rising ire among state department officials who suspect the delay has more to do with allowing “israel” freedom to destroy Rafah, rather than a desire for exactitude.

“I have seen a clear uptick in non-public resignations in the past few weeks, and would not be surprised to see more follow a sham report,” former State Department official Josh Paul, who was responsible for supplying US allies with weapons until his resignation in November, told Politico.

More resignations are expected. NatSec Daily says the Biden administration’s failure to stop the Rafah invasion has been the last straw for many. They say the attack shows “that Benjamin Netanyahu does not respect Joe Biden’s imposed ‘red lines’, which would in turn prompt contemplations among US officials regarding the extent of the government’s influence on “israel”.

Hala Rharrit, who had been a foreign service officer for more than 18 years, and resigned just last month, said “We have no ground to stand on anymore,” adding that the US’ efforts to stop the Israeli war on Gaza are a “failed policy”.

Biden administration officials are finding it increasingly difficult to deny the obvious – “israel” is a genocidal state, and always has been.

From the 1948 “Nakba” to the contemporary genocide in Gaza, “israel’s” clear humanitarian failings have always been glossed over, approved of and actively supported by the US and the white “international community”.

This has been taken up by an influential group of lawmakers urging White House officials to declare military aid to “israel” as illegal due to it humanitarian atrocities.

But it appears the US is stumbling even as it tries – or pretends it’s trying – to cast off even temporarily its role as genocide enabler.

Tariq Habash, a policy advisor who resigned in January, said anonymous letters urging Biden to shift his “Israel” policy were “not enough anymore”, and called on other officials to resign, whether publicly or not.