s ▁board ▁for ▁N oss el ' s ▁res ignation ▁due ▁to ▁N oss el ' s ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Afghan istan . ▁ ▁Journal ist ▁and ▁peace ▁activ ist ▁Chris ▁Hed ges ▁res igned ▁from ▁P EN ▁in ▁protest ▁of ▁N oss el ' s ▁appointment . ▁Hed ges ▁claimed ▁in ▁his ▁res ignation ▁letter ▁to ▁P EN ▁that ▁" N oss el ' s ▁rel ent less ▁champion ing ▁of ▁pre empt ive ▁war — which ▁under ▁international ▁law ▁is ▁illegal — as ▁a ▁State ▁Department ▁official ▁along ▁with ▁her ▁call ous ▁dis reg ard ▁for ▁Isra eli ▁mist re at ment ▁of ▁the ▁Palest ini ans ▁and ▁her ▁ref us al ▁as ▁a ▁government ▁official ▁to ▁den ounce ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁tort ure ▁and ▁use ▁of ▁extra jud icial ▁kill ings , ▁makes ▁her ▁utter ly ▁un fit ▁to ▁lead ▁any ▁human ▁rights ▁organization , ▁especially ▁one ▁that ▁has ▁global ▁concerns ." ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁ ▁N oss el ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁West chester , ▁New ▁York , ▁ ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁South ▁African ▁parents ▁and ▁grand d augh ter ▁of ▁refuge es ▁from ▁Naz i ▁Germany ▁who ▁fled ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁She ▁traces ▁her ▁interest ▁in ▁human ▁rights ▁to ▁her ▁growing ▁up ▁ ▁Jewish ▁in ▁America , ▁and ▁her ▁vis its ▁to ▁apart heid ▁South ▁Africa ▁in ▁her ▁youth . ▁ ▁She ▁has ▁frequently ▁visited ▁relatives ▁in ▁Israel , ▁saying ▁" It ' s ▁a ▁place ▁where