‘I began to feel complicit’
For 18 years, Hala Rharrit worked in the US State Department, most recently becoming its Arabic-language spokesperson. But the Biden administration’s response to Israel’s war on Gaza forced her to resign in April, becoming the first US diplomat to quit in protest over the US’s Gaza policy.
In this wide-ranging Real Talk interview, Rharrit reveals what went on behind the scenes, how her Gaza reports were received by US officials, and why she ultimately decided to resign.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:57 ‘I began to feel complicit’
05:47 I refused to do Gaza interviews
09:33 Sidelined & silenced
18:14 ‘There’s a lot of fear’
23:50 Sending Gaza reports to US government
27:00 Gaza aid airdrops PR stunt?
29:11 Do you believe the US is complicit?
33:32 US arms industry & Israel-Palestine
35:53 Trump vs Biden on Gaza
39:59 Biden Gaza policy steeped in racism?
47:05 Hala’s Arab-American background
55:05 Time since October
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26 июл 2024