'No concern for Palestinian suffering': Former official criticizes US Gaza policy | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News

Former State Department official Mike Casey says the US government is pursuing Israel's interests above its own.

Mike Casey says he's never seen anything like it.

In fact, the former US State Department official – who served as deputy political adviser in the US Office of Palestinian Affairs – described his experience as a diplomat in Jerusalem as a disgrace.

“It's embarrassing … to see how 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've never 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 continued support for Israel despite its devastating military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

His resignation – first reported by The Guardian newspaper this week – is the latest from a US official angered by President Joe Biden's support for Israel's military and leadership since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

To date, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's continued offensive in the coastal areas.

The conflict has plunged Gaza into a major humanitarian crisis, with United Nations experts and leading human rights groups accusing the Israeli military of committing war crimes, including genocide.

The US said it was working to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza. It also said it had forced Israel to reduce the number of people killed in its military operations.

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

That sparked anger and criticism from lawyers who called the outgoing Democratic Alliance president “Genocide Joe”.

The US provides Israel with at least $3.8bn in military aid per year, and Brown University researchers recently estimated that the Biden administration has provided an additional $17.9bn since the Gaza war began.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Casey said that his work in Jerusalem is focused on writing about the situation in Gaza, from humanitarian issues to economics and politics.

He said the US government is aware of the dire conditions in the area, including the high number of deaths and the lack of humanitarian aid. “However, we continue to follow these policies and support what the Israeli army is doing there,” he said.

“They get all our reports, they have everything we write, and they ignore you.”

Asked why the US government's policy, Casey said he believes part of the reason is that there is “no concern for Palestinian suffering”.

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

“And that's what pushed me through the door in the end.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment on Saturday.