Hala Rharrit is an American diplomat, political advisor and former Arabic language spokesperson of the United States State Department. She resigned in opposition to the Biden administration's policy on the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas War. She was also the Dubai Regional Media Hub's deputy director, previously served as the Chief of the Political/Economic Affairs Unit at the U.S. Consulate in Durban, South Africa and also as the Deputy Chief of the Political/Economic Section at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar. She served in other locations, including Hong Kong and Washington, DC. She was awarded several State Department awards before her decision to resign.
Hala Rharrit | |
|---|---|
| American Diplomat, Senior Political Advisor, The Arabic-language spokesperson of the US State Department | |
| In office September 2006[1] – April 24, 2024[1] | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Vedant Patel |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Georgetown University, George Washington University[1] |
Education
editHala Rharrit graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor's degree, where she studied in international relations and Middle Eastern studies at the School of Foreign Service. She earned a master's degree in Arab studies from Georgetown University.[1]
Career
editHala Rharrit joined the State Department in 2006 as a political and human rights officer.[1] Her tours include Yemen, Hong Kong, Qatar and South Africa, among others.[2] She was also the Dubai Regional Media Hub's deputy director based at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai. Prior to that, she served as the Political and Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Durban, South Africa.[1] She served as the spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa since August 2022.[1] In April 2024, She resigned after 18 years of distinguished service[3] in opposition to the Biden administration's policy on the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas War.[1][4]
Reactions
editVedant Patel described Rharrit's resignation as "personal matter" and refused to "delve into the specifics".[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "Hala Rharrit". state.gov.
- ^ "US State Department Arabic spokesperson resigns in opposition to Gaza policy". Reuters. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- ^ "State Department diplomat resigns in protest of U.S. policy in Gaza". NPR. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- ^ a b "State Department's Middle East spokeswoman resigns in protest of Gaza policy". Anadolu Agency. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-25.