The Department of State responded to a former staff member, Annelle Sheline, who publicly resigned over the U.S.’s perceived inaction regarding the Israeli offensive in Gaza. At a press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Sheline was a fellow at the State Department who did not exercise her option to return for a second year as a fellow. He emphasized that there is a broad diversity of views within the State Department and American society about the policy regarding Gaza.
Sheline publicly resigned from her position as a foreign affairs officer in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, citing U.S. inaction as Israel plans a ground invasion of Rafah, which the White House does not support. Sheline criticized the U.S. government for providing diplomatic and military support to Israel, which has been involved in actions that some experts have described as meeting the criteria for genocide. She expressed that the credibility of the United States as an advocate for human rights has been severely compromised since the war began.
Despite internal avenues for dissent within the State Department, including meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to voice disagreements on policy, Sheline felt that she was no longer able to perform her job effectively due to the lack of alignment with her beliefs. She participated in internal listening sessions where personnel could express dissenting views on policy matters. However, the coalition of disgruntled State Department employees, including Sheline, were unable to influence official policies, leading to her decision to resign.
Miller emphasized that dissenting views are welcomed within the State Department, and meetings are held to listen to different opinions on various issues. He stated that Secretary Blinken and other senior leaders in the department actively seek feedback and take dissenting perspectives into consideration when making decisions. The department believes that listening to dissenting opinions helps in making better decisions in the future.
Sheline mentioned that she had not initially planned on making a public resignation, as she did not think her short tenure at the State Department warranted a public announcement. However, upon informing her colleagues of her decision, she was encouraged to speak on behalf of them. Feeling that she was unable to advocate for human rights effectively within the organization, Sheline ultimately chose to resign from her position.
Overall, the response of the Department of State to Annelle Sheline’s public resignation highlighted the importance of diversity of opinions within the organization and the broader American society regarding the policy on Gaza. Sheline’s decision to resign was driven by her belief that the U.S. government’s support for Israel was compromising human rights advocacy and credibility on the global stage. Despite the existence of internal dissent mechanisms, Sheline felt that her ability to effect change within the organization was limited, leading to her public resignation.
