A prominent special assistant at the US Interior Department is the latest to join a wave of high-profile resignations from the Biden Administration, prompted by the President’s unwavering support for Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. Maryam Hassanein, at just 24 years old, has made headlines as the youngest appointee to resign, stepping down from her role on July 12.
“As a Muslim American, I cannot continue working for an administration that ignores the voices of its diverse staff by continuing to fund and enable Israel’s genocide of Palestinians,” she said in a statement. Hassanein joined the administration with the belief that her voice and diverse perspective would contribute to the pursuit of justice.
“However, over the past nine months of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, this administration has chosen to uphold the status quo instead of listening to the diverse voices of staff urgently demanding freedom and justice for Palestinians,” she added. Hassanein stated that resigning was the only way to make her voice heard and genuinely represent her community.
She criticized President Biden for not using US influence to halt the killings in Gaza, accusing him of continuing to fund the violence and fueling hate crimes against Palestinian Americans by perpetuating anti-Arab stereotypes and spreading falsehoods. “When my family and I, alongside other Muslims and Arab Americans, turned up to vote for President Biden in 2020, it was because the Biden campaign promised justice. That promise and faith in the administration have been shattered. Through their policy choices and dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims, it has become clear to me that I do not have a place in this administration,” she added.
Hassanein’s resignation followed just one week after Mohammed Abu Hashem, a Palestinian-American US airman, stepped down after a distinguished 22-year career. His departure was also in protest of Washington’s support for Israel’s onslaught in Gaza. Around 11 individuals have resigned from the US government in protest of Washington’s failure to halt Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Local health authorities report that since Tel Aviv launched a strike against Hamas on October 7, at least 37,900 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have lost their lives and 87,060 have been injured. More than eight months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza remain in ruins under a crippling blockade that has left the region without sufficient food, clean water, and medicine.
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