Islam Times - Biden’s Nominee for US Human Rights Post Withdraws After Criticism of Stance on ‘Israel’

Biden’s Nominee for US Human Rights Post Withdraws After Criticism of Stance on ‘Israel’

Islam Times - US President Joe Biden’s nominee for a top State Department human rights post has withdrawn her candidacy as she faced intense scrutiny from a Republican senator who refused to agree to her nomination due to her statements on the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity.

Sarah Margon, whose nomination to serve as assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor had been announced in April 2021, and who was not yet confirmed, in a statement shared first with Politico on Tuesday, described her decision not to be re-nominated as the new Congress has taken over.

“At present, I don’t see a path forward for confirmation, and after one and a half years, it’s time to move on,” Margon said in the statement. “I will continue to work on democracy and human rights, and am grateful to President Biden and Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken for their confidence in me and the honor of a nomination.”

Margon faced opposition from James Risch, the Idaho senator who is the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Risch, citing past tweets of hers, accused Margon of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] movement, which opposes the Zionist entity due to its policies toward the Palestinians.

Risch also took issue with Margon’s retweet in 2020 with approval of a New York Times opinion piece titled “I no longer believe in a Jewish state.”