Senior education official cites Biden's 'turning a blind eye to atrocities' in Gaza as reason for his resignation

WASHINGTON — A top Biden education official announced his resignation Wednesday, citing the administration's failure to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza from Israeli attack in its deadly war with Hamas.

In a letter on Wednesday to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Tariq Habash, a policy advisor in the department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, wrote, “I cannot remain silent while this administration turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed against the lives of innocent Palestinians.” What prominent human rights experts described as a campaign of genocide launched by the Israeli government.

Habash, a Palestinian-American, is a political appointee who specializes in student loans and college affordability.

His resignation is the latest sign of uneasiness within the ranks of the Biden administration over the president's handling of the war that broke out on October 7 when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state. In November, more than 400 Biden administration officials wrote an open letter calling on Biden to insist on a ceasefire. The letter did not mention their names.

The Israeli counteroffensive has killed more than 21,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities, prompting senior officials in the Biden administration to press Israel for a more targeted approach to the conflict that saves more civilian lives.

But critics say the White House is not using its influence as Israel's main military donor to bring about a change in tactics. They succeeded in convincing the White House to impose conditions on military aid flowing to Israel rather than simply demanding that Israeli leaders show more restraint.

Habash's two-page letter suggests that everything Biden has done to rein in Israel has failed to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

“I cannot be quietly complicit in the administration’s failure to leverage its influence as Israel’s most powerful ally to stop the arbitrary collective punishment tactics that have deprived Palestinians in Gaza of food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies, leading to widespread illness and death.” “Famine,” he wrote.

He went on to point out callousness on Biden's part in his response to the death toll in Gaza. At a press conference in October, Biden denied reports from Gaza about casualties, saying he had no guarantees that “the Palestinians are telling the truth about the death toll.”

Biden added: “I am sure that innocent people were killed, and this is the price of waging war.”

“The President has publicly questioned the validity of the numbers of Palestinian deaths frequently used by our State Department, the United Nations, and numerous humanitarian NGOs,” Habash wrote in his letter.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Education, in response to a request for comment on Habash, said: “We wish him success in his future endeavors.”

Aware of growing opposition within the administration, White House officials made efforts to meet with Arab American, Palestinian American, and Muslim American staff to hear their concerns about the war. They also held quiet meetings with several Arab and Palestinian community leaders who are dissatisfied with the direction of the war.

But the backlash continues, straining Biden's political coalition as he heads toward a potential rematch with Donald Trump in November. Democratic lawmakers have warned Biden that he could lose Michigan, a crucial swing state with a large Arab population, unless he resets his approach to the war and shows more compassion for the lives of Palestinians.

Habash's path from enthusiastic campaign supporter to frustrated official exemplifies the problem Biden faces.

He wrote that he “actively” campaigned for Biden in the 2020 election and helped shape the president's platform on education issues. Habash added that when Biden took office, he was one of the first political appointees to arrive in the education building.

In a press release two weeks after Biden was sworn in, the Education Department described Habash and other political appointees as a “diverse and accomplished” group.

What started with such a hopeful tone ended with Habash's letter in which he criticized the Biden administration for putting “the lives of millions of innocent people at risk.”

“So I must resign.”