We don’t have a policy on Palestine; we just follow what Israelis want: Ex-US official Mike Casey

A former senior official of the US State Department has criticised the country’s approach to Palestine, accusing it of aligning its actions primarily with Israeli preferences rather than formulating an independent policy.

Mike Casey, who stepped down as deputy political counsellor in Gaza this July, expressed his discontent during an interview with The Guardian.

“We don’t have a policy on Palestine; we just follow what the Israelis want,” Casey remarked.

Having served in Jerusalem since 2020, the army veteran and diplomat of over a decade documented the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and proposed policy measures. He criticised the Biden administration for repeatedly discarding US-led plans in favour of Israeli strategies, some of which he labelled as “deliberately destructive.”

“Every proposal we offered was dismissed with the administration saying, ‘Israel has a different idea,'” Casey said. He also highlighted Washington’s indifference to reports warning against instability in Gaza. “It’s not in our interest to have warlords running Gaza,” he noted.

Casey described the mental strain of documenting the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, including civilian and child casualties, only to see his reports ignored.

“I was exhausted from writing about dead kids,” he said. “Constantly having to prove to Washington that these children actually died, only for nothing to change.”

Responding to Casey’s allegations, the State Department reaffirmed its commitment to international humanitarian law and efforts to minimise civilian harm. A spokesperson reiterated that Israel must comply with these laws and take steps to prevent civilian casualties, calling it a “moral and strategic imperative.”

Casey’s resignation is part of a broader trend of discontent among US officials regarding the Biden administration’s policy on Israel and Palestine. This wave of resignations includes a statement from 12 former officials who criticised the administration’s stance, calling it a “failure” and a threat to US national security. They condemned America’s support for Israel, holding it responsible for the “killings and forced starvation” of Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel’s actions in Gaza have resulted in over 45,000 deaths, primarily women and children, alongside severe shortages of essential supplies like food, water, electricity, and medicine. The conflict has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza.

In response, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military actions in Gaza.