Annelle Sheline, our guest this week, previously worked in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in Near Eastern Affairs. She had only been there a year when she decided to publicly resign. Annelle tells us that while she was unsure of the impact her resignation would have, since she was a relatively junior employee, others encouraged her to reconsider and to go public even though they could not do the same.
According to Annelle, although the number of people who have taken the action she took is relatively small, a larger number of American government workers have more quietly resigned — or even retired early — out of refusal to condone the Biden admin’s aid of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The thought of burning all professional bridges in a “one-company town,” she notes, dissuades many people from doing so. It requires throwing out all one’s professional connections and work experience. Annelle believes she’s relatively lucky to be able to return to her academic background in think tanks. Still, some of those who don’t resign, publicly or quietly, have been writing anonymous letters and joining protests. There may not be sufficient rejection of Biden’s genocidal Israel policy among governmental workers. But the number of dissenters is growing.
You can listen to this conversation as a podcast on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Resigning Over Gaza with Dr Annelle Sheline