US purposely ignores Israeli war crimes due to policy concerns: Paul

By AFP
Source: Agencies
16 Nov 2023 17:29
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Josh Paul claims to have heard from officials, including high-ranking elected officials, who share the opinion that 'Israel' is indeed committing war crimes -- but are hesitant to voice it publicly.

As the former director of congressional and public affairs at the US State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Josh Paul helped oversee arms transfers to US allies for 11 years (AFP)

A former high-ranking staffer from the US State Department has acknowledged that US officials are deliberately overlooking Israeli war crimes due to domestic policy concerns and actively suppressing opposition to providing military support to the regime.

Josh Paul, who served as the director of congressional and public affairs for the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for over 11 years, revealed on Wednesday that numerous officials are troubled by the actions of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF). However, he noted that they tend to ignore regulations governing arms transfers.

"It is my opinion that Israel is committing war crimes in its actions in Gaza right now. And it’s not just my opinion. I’ve actually heard from officials across government, including elected officials at a very senior level, who share that opinion but aren’t willing to say it in public," Paul told AFP.

Paul, whose resignation last month stirred controversy in Washington, conceded that "criticism of Israel is often seen as a third rail in American politics, particularly in Congress." He highlighted that this perception acts as a deterrent for US officials to publicly express what they privately believe.

He pointed out that the rules governing arms transfers are weak, providing policymakers with the opportunity to willfully avoid making decisions regarding whether the IOF has violated human rights in Gaza, allowing them to "simply not decide."

He further emphasized that the US continues to provide weapons in situations "where it was clear — and as we have seen — that they were going to be used to kill so many civilians."

Paul announced his resignation on October 18, citing a policy disagreement related to the ongoing provision of lethal assistance by the US to the Israeli regime.

"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 wrote on a post on his LinkedIn account.