“No need to worry about Palestinian suffering”: Former official criticizes US policy in Gaza | News of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Mike Casey, a former State Department official, says that the American government seeks to achieve Israel’s interests at the expense of its own interests.

Mike Casey says he’s never seen anything like this before.

In fact, the former Ministry of States The official – who served as deputy political adviser in the US Office of Palestinian Affairs – described his experience as a diplomat in Jerusalem as humiliating.

“It’s frankly embarrassing… to see the way we give in to the demands of the Israeli government and continue to support what the Israeli government is doing even though we know it’s wrong,” Casey told Al Jazeera.

“And I haven’t seen that in any other country I’ve served in.”

After four years in office, Casey resigned in July over what he described as the US government’s steadfast support for Israel despite its devastating military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

His resignation – was first reported by The Guardian newspaper This week – the latest from a US official angered by President Joe Biden’s strong military and diplomatic support for Israel Since the Gaza war Started in October 2023.

yet, More than 45 thousand Palestinians They were killed in ongoing Israeli attacks on the coastal strip.

The conflict has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, and UN experts and leading human rights groups have accused the Israeli military of committing war crimes, including Genocide.

The United States said it was working to ensure a ceasefire and the release of prisoners detained in Gaza. She also said she pushed Israel to reduce civilian casualties in its military operations.

But Biden has refused to use US aid to Israel as a means to end the war, rejecting calls to suspend US arms transfers to the key ally.

This sparked anger and criticism from advocates who did so Aka the outgoing Democratic President “Genocide Joe”.

The United States provides Israel with at least $3.8 billion in military aid annually, and researchers at Brown University recently estimated that the Biden administration has provided an additional $17.9 billion since the beginning of the Gaza war.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Casey said his job in Jerusalem focused primarily on writing about the situation in Gaza, from humanitarian concerns to economic and political issues.

He said the US government is aware of the difficult conditions in the region, including widespread casualties and a lack of humanitarian aid. “However, we continue to follow these policies and support what the Israeli army is doing there,” he said.

“They receive all our reports, they have everything we write, and they ignore it.”

When asked why US government policy is the way it is now, Casey said he believes part of the reason is that “there is no concern for the suffering of the Palestinians.”

“We ignore the suffering of the Palestinians. We accept the Israeli government’s version of events even if we know it is untrue, and we truly pursue Israel’s interests. “We are not pursuing our own interests,” he told Al Jazeera.

“That’s what got me out the door in the end.”

The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on Saturday.