Josh Paul, a former senior official at the US State Department, has revealed findings from a previously unpublished report that illustrates how "Israel" strategically uses terrorism allegations to discredit critics and derail diplomacy, particularly regarding Gaza and broader Palestinian civil society.

Paul resigned in protest over US arms transfers to "Israel" amid the war on Gaza. His recent disclosures, published by Responsible Statecraft, shed light on a long-standing pattern. “Human rights activists in Jerusalem, humanitarian aid workers in Gaza, and college students in New York,” he writes, “all purportedly have links to terrorism,” according to "Israel" and its influence networks. The allegations, he argues, are often baseless but serve a calculated purpose, to smear and isolate those who challenge "Israel’s" political agenda.

The Jenin Revolving Door report: What it revealed

Paul first encountered this tactic in 2008 while working with the US Security Coordinator (USSC) in the occupied West Bank. At the time, "Israel" claimed that the Palestinian Authority (PA) was failing to "detain terrorism suspects," impeding US-backed peace efforts. Despite observable improvements in the PA’s security operations, "Israel" continued to accuse it of maintaining a so-called “revolving door” justice system.

To investigate these claims, Paul led the drafting of The Jenin Revolving Door Report, co-authored with a UK police official and a Canadian military officer. Recently released with minor redactions, the report found little to substantiate "Israel's" accusations.

While the report acknowledged that Palestinian law was vague and its justice system under-resourced, it sharply criticized the nature and quality of "Israel’s" claims. “These lists… commonly lack any evidence to substantiate the validity of the targets,” it stated. In some cases, the individuals named were already deceased. The PA, it added, “cannot simply arrest and administratively detain persons because Israel wants it done; it has processes it must follow… with international human rights and legal best practice.”

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'Israel’s' use of intelligence without evidence

Paul draws a crucial distinction: “Intelligence… is not evidence, and is often wrong.” He contends that "Israel" often demands that its claims be accepted without proof. “In the experience of the US Security Coordinator at the time I served in it, Israel’s lists were often flawed and inaccurate.”

The report also highlights a double standard. While "Israel" criticized the PA for releasing detainees, it regularly engaged in similar practices. “Israel does not try every Palestinian it detains… arrests and detentions form a regular part of intelligence gathering activities… and are often thought to be more pre-emptive or deterrent than they are reactive to specific threats.”

In 2022, "Israel" designated six leading Palestinian civil society organizations as "terror-linked entities," alleging ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). One of these groups, Defense for Children International–Palestine (DCIP), was raided just after the US acknowledged the credibility of its report on the sexual abuse of a child in Israeli detention.

Although several Western governments initially severed ties with these groups, most quietly restored them after "Israel" failed to provide conclusive evidence.

From UNRWA to US campuses: A pattern of allegations

This strategy has expanded to international institutions. In early 2024, "Israel" accused 108 UNRWA employees in Gaza of links to Hamas’ armed wing. Despite UNRWA's stated commitment to internal investigations, no supporting evidence has been submitted. “UNRWA has been unable to substantiate those accusations,” Paul notes, adding that “Israel has not provided any further evidence.”

Even US academic institutions have become targets. In March, a legal filing accused Columbia University’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter of having foreknowledge of Hamas’ October 7 operation, based solely on a captive’s account of what he was allegedly told by his captors. “Why would Hamas leaders alert some college students in New York?” Paul asks. “Regardless of the accusation’s merit, the reputational damage to SJP is done.”

Paul warns that allegations without evidence should not be accepted at face value. “There is often less than meets the eye” when it comes to "Israeli" claims, he writes. He urges targeted individuals and organizations to “demand substantive evidence.” And if "Israel" cannot or will not provide it, he concludes, “it should be ignored.”

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