State Department Official Resigns, Opposes Additional Military Aid to Israel

A U.S. State Department official, who worked in the global arms transfer division, resigned on Wednesday in opposition to the additional military aid being provided to Israel by Washington amid the ongoing conflict between the Palestinian Hamas group and Israel, Axios reports.

Josh Paul, who served as the director of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Congressional and Public Affairs Division, publicly announced his resignation in an open letter, marking a rare public display of dissent against the Biden administration. This comes as President Joe Biden is preparing to request an unprecedented military aid package from Congress for Israel.

Paul, who has been with the State Department for 11 years, described the Biden administration’s decision as an “impulsive response based on bias,” and criticized it as “short-sighted, counterproductive, and unjust policy.” He also emphasized that Hamas's attack on Israel was simply monstrous.

“But I believe deep down that Israel's response, along with American support for both that response and the status quo of occupation, will only lead to deeper suffering for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, and that is not in the long-term interest of the U.S.,” Paul elaborated. He also expressed concern that the U.S. “is repeating the same mistakes made over the past decades.”

“I refuse to be a part of this any longer,” he concluded.