Muslim Minister Quits Her Job Over Israel And Palestine War

oge okonkwo

August 5, 2014 3:23 PM

She announced her resignation on Twitter, publishing a copy of a letter she had sent

A senior minister in Britain's Foreign Office, Baroness Warsi has resigned on Tuesday after accusing Prime Minister David Cameron's government of taking a "morally indefensible" approach to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

In her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, Warsi wrote that Britain's support for Israeli military action against Hamas, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 1,800 Palestinians over the past month, "is morally indefensible, is not in Britain's national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation".

Warsi announced her decision as Israel pulled its ground forces out of the Gaza Strip and started a 72-hour ceasefire with Hamas mediated by Egypt as a first step towards negotiations on a more enduring end to the month-old war.

"The British government can only play a constructive role in solving the Middle East crisis if it is an honest broker," the former Foreign Office minister said, "and at the moment I do not think it is."

She announced her resignation on Twitter, publishing a copy of a letter she had sent Cameron giving the reasons for her decision.

"Our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain's national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically," Warsi, said.

Warsi, who sits in Britain's upper house of parliament, in 2010 became Britain's first Muslim to serve in cabinet but was later demoted to be a senior minister of state at the Foreign Office and a minister for faith and communities.

oge okonkwo