An official with the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs resigned after 11 years over a “policy disagreement” — namely, the Biden administration’s decision to step up military aid to Israel in its war against Hamas.
Josh Paul announced his resignation Wednesday on his LinkedIn page, citing “shortsighted decisions.”
“I knew it was not without its moral complexity and moral compromises, and I made myself a promise that I would stay for as long as I felt the harm I might do could be outweighed by the good I could do,” Paul wrote about his decision to take the job.
“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,” Paul continued. “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.”
Paul was reacting to the Pentagon sending weapons, air defenses, and munitions to Israel in the days following Hamas’ incursion into Israel and massacre of more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
Paul called Hamas’ attack on Israel a “monstrosity of monstrosities.” But he criticized the Biden administration’s “impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience, intellectual bankruptcy and bureaucratic inertia.”
“I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be shortsighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse,” he added.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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