An official with the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) announced his resignation on Wednesday due to President Biden’s full-throated support for Israel’s onslaught in Gaza that came after the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Josh Paul said in a statement on his LinkedIn account that he had worked for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for 11 years. He strongly condemned the Hamas’ attack on Israel, describing it as a “monstrosity of monstrosities,” but said Israel’s response will only make things worse.
“I believe to the core of my soul that the response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people – and is not in the long term American interest. This Administration’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,” Paul wrote.
Paul continued to criticize the history of the US’s “blind support” for Israel. “Decades of the same approach have shown that security for peace leads to neither security, nor to peace. The fact is, blind support for one side is destructive in the long term to the interests of the people on both sides. 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,” he said.
Discussing his time at the PM, Paul said he had made moral compromises but that he had reached his limit. “In my 11 years I have made more moral compromises than I can recall, each heavily, but each with my promise to myself in mind, and intact. I am leaving today because I believe that in our current course with regards to the continued – indeed, expanded and expedited – provision of lethal arms to Israel – I have reached the end of that bargain,” he said.
According to the State Department’s website, the PM is the department’s “principal link” to the Defense Department and “provides policy direction in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defense strategy and plans, and defense trade.” Paul said he was proud of some work he had done at the PM, including “on pending Administration decisions to transfer lethal weapons to countries that abuse human rights” and involvement in the policy of fueling the Ukraine war.
This entire statement is more humble than what I saw earlier.
This really hits it:
Moral bankruptcy too.
I saw this on Yahoo earlier. That’s also progress.
The Agence Frence-Presse (AFP) news service reports that a European intelligence source believes that there were a maximum of 50 people killed at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, not 500 as Hamas claimed (and as the media repeated at the time).
The explosion Tuesday night at the hospital turned out to be caused by an errant Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli airstrike, and the rocket hit the parking lot of the hospital, not the building itself, though there were casualties.
Now, the AFP reports, the initial figure of 500 dead — arrived at suspiciously quickly — may have been off by a factor of ten.
Got a link to the AFP story?
ttps://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/european-intelligence-source-tells-afp-a-maximum-of-50-killed-in-gaza-hospital/
Thanks.
That URL was malformed, but I put the implied headline into Bing and got this one:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/european-intelligence-source-tells-afp-a-maximum-of-50-killed-in-gaza-hospital
oh “times of Israel”! certainly those guys are above suspicion.
“by deception, thou shalt do war”
…… Israeli Mossad
It’s an AFP wire service story.
European MSM has lost all credibility a long time ago.
Pfft
A senior European intelligence source tells AFP that he believes….
No evidence given, no location of this source.
Where is your evidence, pffft.
Evidence that your link is empty belief, you provided it.
While you offer nothing.
actually he offered scorn for your comment which IMO carries no water in the first place
Egg all over your faces is the perfect look, LOL!
It is so insane it is not even plausible.
You’ll be the last to know, but eventually, you will, lol.
denial is a river in Africa.
COMMON SENSE
Maybe it was the same European intelligence source who predicted Ukranian forces would be halfway to Moscow by now
Hamas, not a reliable source, who knew? LOLOLO!
Hamas is more credible than our lying president and MSM or the Israeli Hasbara diplomacy of which the Israelis are very proud.
FYI
“It is a communicative strategy that “seeks to explain actions, whether or not they are justified”.[2] As it focuses on providing explanations about one’s actions, hasbara has been called a “reactive and event-driven approach”.
‘Not the BBC’s finest hour’: Minister slams coverage of Gaza hospital explosion as broadcaster admits its controversial report had flaws.
The BBC has admitted a controversial report about the cause of the Gaza hospital explosion was a “mistake”.’
Growing evidence has emerged that the explosion at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was caused by Islamic Jihad. LOL!
Keep lying Lsis!
BBC HAS LOST CREDIBILITY A LONG TIME AGO, Ministers in so-called democracies are professional liars. BBC will accept the Ministers meddling and do as told, so much for a free press.
LOL, well at least they are trying to regain some, unlike you.
yes yes — BBC is British . what a shame
D notice control it — America -I feel has a free press which is the best quality of the free world –
Yep, Hamas, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, china and Russia. The sources you believe yet, you live in the US?
You can move to any of those countries and be happy.
Go, dont wait.
What are you talking about? You make absolutely no sense at all.
Of course the Israelis did it, they even said so immediately and then pulled back when they got the backlash.
A case like the shelling of the NPP and sabotage of the NS2 pipeline, same method.
What are you, a troll or a sucker?
Keep that up, you lose credibility with each frantic lie.
You have no credibility at all. Not that you are a liar, your problem is your trust in the lies of government and MSM after they have lied to you over and over, you still believe.
You’re really trying to make this the basis for the brutality that Israel is going to inflict, and already has, on Gaza. What about the 6,000 bombs dropped? Was that off by a factor of 10? Were reports of Isarel bombing the south bullsh*t too? You know where those humanitarian Israeli’s told the inmates to evacuate.
Um, no.
A statement from Rep. Jared Moskowski actually sums it up nicely:
“What I know is we saw a disgusting display of anti-Israel, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism from the international media around the world. They immediately took Hamas’ word for it, Hamas, a terrorist organization, who said something, and ran with it. It caused riots around the world. It caused the president’s meeting to be canceled. But when Israel said it wasn’t true, they had to show satellite imagery, they had to show trajectory of the bomb, they had to explain the crater size, they had to show all sorts of audio intelligence. But Hamas, their word was taken seriously. So, look, this just shows how dangerous it is to be listening to a terrorist organization when they put out numbers, when they put out facts and figures, and they put out statements. And it’s a lesson for the media and elected officials that this is an active war zone, and we have to be careful before we take stuff and weaponize it, because look what it caused in the Arab world.”
So freakin true.
Right. Just because Israel was dropping 6,000 bombs on the strip at the time and a hospital was hit, who could have possibly thought it was Israel? And this guy is full of shit. The protests won’t stop regardless of if Israel is exonerated for the bombing. Trying to place the reason protests are taking place around the word solely for the hospital bombing is ridiculous. The carnage will continue, and the protests will grow because the brutality will be there for all to see.
Hamas punks it’s “useful idiots”,
who became cheerleaders for team Hamas gleefully stoked up more hate.
But then, the evidence drops, their credibility got shot and now they are feeling the burn. (LMAO).
With the truth finally out
(which to anyone with a functioning brain was as obvious as the Smollett hoax)
the WORLD, is clear-eyed to see, —– Hamas R U!
Hamas had no credibility to start with. The reason Israel was blamed was because they were fucking bombing Gaza to the tune of 6,000 bombs (much more by now). And Israel’s credibility will be along the lines of Hamas’ credibility when they get done leveling Gaza. Although that won’t be much of a drop from their current credibility. And you insinuating anyone pointing out Israel’s brutality is somehow a fan of Hamas is typical of a neocon that praised the immortal John Bolton. Thought I forgot about that? NOT!
Don’t hold back dear wars! Tell us what you really think! Oh but wait, I think the same way!
Punked.
John Bolton fan club gibberish.
Coming from a cheerleader for Hamas, that’s funny.
Haven’t done any cheerleading for Hamas. To the contrary. Your problem is me pointing out how Israel makes Hamas look like boy scouts when it comes to brutality, and it’s being proven in Gaza right now. It takes a lot of ignoring, but you are able to do so as most neocons do. But that’s the standard excuse from the neocons. When you point out an inconvenient fact about Israel, they have to resort to any criticism as support for Hamas. Never mind about dropping bombs with impunity on woman and children.
Hamas hiding behind woman and children, you ignore,
the slaughter of innocent infants, children and women, you ignore and
jumping on a blatant propaganda lie, a “bombed” hospital, that WASN’T, makes you a cheerleader for war.
Hamas is an enemy to civilization.
Son of Hamas leader breaks silence on decision to denounce terror group: ‘They don’t care’ about Palestinians
Mosab Hassan Yousef.
But they sure love their “useful idiots”!
You keep saying sh*t that has no basis in reality. You can’t point out one instance where I back Hamas. One side uses state of the art munitions against people trapped in a sardine can. Me pointing that out isn’t siding, or ignoring, what Hamas does. I’m just comparing brutality. You, on the other hand, are all for innocent people getting killed but you just want one side to do the killing.
Nonsense, if you were opposed to war you would seek a reasonable solution.
As in the UN demanding a ceasefire, with an immediate return of all hostages, Hamas to turn over all those involved in the slaughter including the leadership for arrest, an international tribunal to prosecute them, a UN removal of all offensive weapons from Gaza, an ultimatum that Iran cease funding and supplying terror groups or suffer global isolation banning international trade.
Something like that. But instead, all we get is the same dumbazz rant-chants.
Blinken Rejects Idea of Gaza Ceasefire
Now what good would the UN demanding a ceasefire do?
And I’m all for Hamas turning over the hostages. And I’m all for Iran to stop funding and supplying terror groups as soon as the US does. But I’m also for the UN/US to demand Israel stop killing children in Gaza (1,524 and counting). How about you?
Yeah, and no mention of the slaughter, the perps and their leaders being held accountable, you out yourself.
Not even a good try.
What does that mean?
It means you are a fucking tool.
LOL, says the tool of Hamas!
It means your “unless you include a full-throated condemnation of Hamas in every post, until the end of time, even if it’s about stamp collecting, you support Hamas” horseshit doesn’t fool anyone and hasn’t for a long time.
You think the perps in the Oct 7th raid should not be held accountable?
I’m saying, there will be no ceasefire until a serious effort is made to bring them to justice.
And if I comment on something, anything, I have to include the slaughter, the perps and their leaders being held accountable? Man, you are a fucking tool.
The SLAUGHTER is the reason for the mess.
and primary to any solution is to address the SLAUGHTER, you so desperately want to ignore.
And anything that came after that is excusable? Just say you don’t have any problem with children getting killed in Gaza instead of just skirting around the issue with nonsense. You’re pretty obvious. Some children must deserve to die.
There is no equivocation between atrocities and war. You are Hamas.
You’re out of your mind. You are a moron.
When you ignore accountability for committing atrocities there is no better way to guarantee, WAR!
When you ignore accountability for committing atrocities there is no better way to guarantee, WAR CRIMES!
Fixed.
And atrocities beget atrocities.
Not fixed, just another dumb pivot to excuse, the absolutely INexcusable.
I’m not excusing either side. That would be you. Over 3000 dead woman and children. Or as Israel calls them “animals”.
Equivocating premeditated, planned atrocities with a resulting war
where those who committed the atrocities deliberately use their own civilian people as human shields for propaganda.?
Sorry, Hamas is the blame for all of this.
The response was also a planned premeditated atrocity that is still ongoing. And you once again try to exonerate Israel for doing what Hamas wants them to do as if it lessens their brutality and callous disregard for human life. You really are a moron.
Once again, ignore the side that starts the latest hostilities with pre-civilizational butchery,
then blame the victims for an understandable response.
All the while ignoring Hamas’ consistent pattern of using their own people as human shields (!).
Sorry wars R U, but your hypocrisy is a stench.
You keep saying that every time I make a point you can’t refute. I don’t, and didn’t, ignore anything Hamas does or did. It’s you that is ignoring what Israel is DOING. And right back to exonerating Israel for KNOWINGLY killing civilians. The only hypocrite amongst us is you. Plus, you’re a moron.
BULLCRAP. All you scream about is to demand a ceasefire when there is no damn reason for one.
You dismiss any actions that would actually help, like Hamas agreeing to release all hostages and turn over the perps of the Oct 7 massacre as not realistic.
Well, that leaves only one alternative,
pound Gaza into power while Hamas KNOWINGLY pushes their civilians in front of military targets.
You are full of shit. I didn’t say any of that. You’re just making more shit up because you can’t refute Israel’s brutality. And once more admitting Israel is obliging Hamas by killing civilians as if it’s an exoneration. It’s not.
Hamas commits an atrocity,
and then a second atrocity by forcing their civilians to be shields for the war they started, and all of this is —-Israel’s fault???
NO justice (for crimes against humanity),
NO ceasefire!
“In my 11 years (of) …moral compromises… I have reached the end of that bargain.” But look on the bright side. You didn’t break fingernails or have bad hair days, while innocent people were starving and dying because of what you were doing. Your glass is definitely more than half full. (Sarcasm)
Abby Martin interviews a former Israeli Army combat soldier who served as an occupier in Palestine’s Hebron City. Eran Efrati spent years as a sergeant and combat soldier in the Israeli military, but has since become an outspoken critic of the occupation of Palestine and Israeli apartheid.
“I was the terrorist”
https://youtu.be/1Rk1dAIhiVc
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d6f9671da702f7282af0fbd0f5f1ff8ae64143b5c18f06a461f7dda9ee07d7d6.jpg
i am watching the news on TV here in L.A. there was literally another gun shooting bastard who shot up some innocent dudes – the news guys glossed right over that and then actually said “now back to Israel!” they have a back-ground screen = ISRAEL TODAY!
way to go news guys, way to go.
Finally someone with integrity and a conscience resigning out of protest out of all the financially secure government officials. Cyrus Vance under Carter was the last person to resign for moral reasons as far as I know.
Thank you, Mr. Paul, you provide a ray of hope.
you are right mate — I love America for its freedom of views … but not necessary for its views — Englander
Sad news. One DOS official resigned over the Gaza Israel war.
That will definitely blow a giant hole to an organization with over 15.000 officials.
al-Ahli Arab Christian hospital in Gaza bombing
dennis hanna
Worth the time to read:
There is nothing in the arsenal of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) that could have replicated the massive explosive power of the missile that killed an estimated 500 civilians in the al-Ahli Arab Christian hospital in Gaza. Nothing. If Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad had these kinds of missiles, huge buildings in Israel would be rubble with hundreds of dead. They don’t.
The whistling sound, audible on the video moments before the explosion, appears to comes from the high velocity of a missile. This sound gives it away. No Palestinian rocket makes this noise. And then there is the speed of the missile. Palestinian rockets are slow and lumbering, clearly visible as they arch in the sky and then tumble in free fall towards their targets. They do not strike with precision or travel at close to supersonic speed. They are incapable of killing hundreds of people.
The Israeli military dropped “roof knocking” rockets with no warheads on the hospital in the days leading up to the Oct. 17 strike, the familiar warning given by Israel to evacuate buildings, according to al-Ahli hospital officials. Hospital officials also said they had received calls from Israel saying “we warned you to evacuate twice.” Israel has demanded that all hospitals in northern Gaza be evacuated.
Following the strike on the hospital, Hananya Naftali, a “digital aide” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza.” The post was quickly deleted.
Worth the time to read:
Israel’s Culture of Deceit
Israel, which always seeks to blame Palestinians for the atrocities it carries out, is the least trustworthy source about the bombing of the hospital in Gaza.
CHRIS HEDGES
OCT 18, 2023
Yeah, Hedges kind of embarrassed himself with that one. Unusual, he’s usually very high-quality.
My job is to clean up, not to lighten up.
https://media.tenor.com/FUItMRhUz3sAAAAC/chapelle-charlie-murphy.gif
o looky, lil’ don julio likes pictures of black people laughing!
black people in america like to laugh!
thanks for sharing pictures of happy black people, lil’ don!
So on top of everything else, seems like lil’ don is racist. Nice nickname, BTW.
Prove it was not a short fired Hamas weapon.
200 lbs of exposives can kill alot of people.
1/ Yea, Israel is propagandistic, lying and deceitful – most recently with its multiple lies about its murder of the Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.
“Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing: Lies, investigations and videotape” (Al Jazeera, Andrew Mitrovica, 22 May 2022)
2/ So Palestinians, world citizens, and media have had every reason to believe Israel was lying again.
3/ Based on reportage, imo:
a/ it was more likely not Israel; but
b/ this individual case is an IRRELEVANT DISTRACTOR:
what’s relevant is Israel’s ongoing, genocidal war crime of killing what is now over 4000 Palestinians, many of them children – and the US’s refusal to use its enormous power to enforce a ceasefire now…
…vs. greenlighting Israel’s actions, arming Israel, and blocking repeated UN ceasefire resolutions.
4/ Please use Jewish Voice for Peace’s website software to demand your legislators support a ceasefire – it’s extremely fast and easy:
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) web site with links:
h ttps://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/resource-type/action-alerts/
5/ Political cynicism is easy – but strong majorities of Americans poll as supporting a ceasefire, and legislators know this – and so ‘constituency demands’ – which point to ‘an issue mattering and potentially affecting constituents’ votes’ – have more power than usual:
Thousands marched in the Muslim/Palestinian neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn yesterday (my wife and son among them – I had to leave the city to care for a family member) – you can bet NY’s Senator Schumer, who supports the US’s anti-Palestinian foreign policy, and lives in Brooklyn himself – was aware of that, and – like the Democratic Party – will have to think real hard about how many normally-Democrat-leaning Muslim votes he and the Democratic Party are likely to lose in the upcoming congressional and presidential elections.
6/ Upshot:
Please don’t let the hideous hospital bombing distract from saying no to Israel’s greater, known and clear war crime of killing Palestinian civilians;
please act beyond this website – it matters and, trite as it sounds, every acted-on demand helps.
There really needs to be a very high-profile, very public award (like the Nobel Peace Prize) awarded to politicans or government employees annually, who display a measure of courage, moral fortitude, and honest human dignity above and beyond their peers in the field.
Young Joshua Paul should be the recipient of such an award, ranking with the likes of Manning, Ellsberg, Walter Jones and others whose names should be more familiar to average North Americans than the latest 90 Day Fiancee nobodies.
What the hell took him so long?
Huffpost had an article saying that in the State Department there was low morale and serious concerns about the one sided attitude regarding Israel vs. Palestine by people working there. Only one narrative is allowed.
There can be blame placed on both sides,but Hamas is hard line rejectionist .They are leading Gazans into a hell on earth. As far as provision of lethal weapons-if one side has them,the other generally does. Wars are not fought with scrub brushes and collanders.