Exclusive: Joe Biden Appoints Hawkish Official To Lead Israel Policy At State Department

The Biden administration on Friday tapped Mira Resnick, an official deeply involved in weapons transfers to Israel, for a new role shaping policy at the State Department on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to two people familiar with the move.

The decision surprised some foreign policy professionals and was seen as particularly alarming by skeptics of President Joe Biden’s near-total backing of Israel’s devastating ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

Resnick previously worked at the State Department’s Political-Military Affairs bureau, which has approved billions in arms shipments to Israel during the Gaza war despite concerns from lawmakers and human rights groups that Israel is violating U.S. and international law in its use of American weaponry.

“Assigning [Resnick]… reflects a doubling down on the administration’s determination to continue to provide unconditional material support for Israel’s genocidal campaign against civilians in Gaza,” argued Annelle Sheline, a former State Department official who quit the agency in protest over Biden’s approach earlier this year.

State Department spokespeople did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.