A U.S. State Department official has resigned in protest of the Joe Biden administration’s “blind support” for Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Josh Paul was working in the bureau that oversees U.S. arms transfer to foreign nations.
He has worked in the department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for more than 11 years.
He said he left because he couldn’t agree with his country’s “continued provision of lethal arms to Israel”.
His resignation letter was dated Wednesday.
Paul opinioned clearly that Hamas’ attack on Israel “was a monstrosity”.
He also believed that the response Israel is taking will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people.
The Americans supported Israel for both response and for the status quo of the occupation.
“This Admitnistration’s response – and much of Congress’ as well – is an impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience, intellectual bankruptcy and bureaucratic inertia.
“That is to say, it is immensely disappointing and entirely unsurprising.
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“The fact is, blind support for one side is destructive in the long term to the interests of the people on both sides,” he wrote.
“I fear we are repeating the same mistakes we have made these past decades and I decline to be a part of it for longer.
“I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict.”
Paul said he believed this to be shortsighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory to the values we publicly espouse.”
The State Department declined to comment on Paul’s resignation, according to multiple U.S. media reports.
The department said telling those seeking a response that the agency would not discuss personnel matters.
Since the start of the current conflict, the Biden administration has been repeating its stance that Israel has not only the right but also the obligation to defend itself and protect its people.
The administration had promised full support for Israel. It vowed to provide whatever the country needed to prosecute the war against Hamas.
Washington had sent two carrier strike groups to waters near Israel as a deterrence. It also put some 2,000 troops on high alert for deployment – possibly into Israeli territory. (Xinhua)
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