A US State Department official resigned over President Joe Biden’s administration’s handling of the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The official declared that he could not support more US military aid to Israel. He described the administration’s response as a “reckless reaction” based on “intellectual bankruptcy.”
The official, Josh Paul, was director of public and congressional affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which handles arms transfers, according to the Washington Post.
His departure represents a rare indication of domestic discomfort over the administration’s strong support for Israel, which is the closest ally to the United States’ in the Middle East according to the newspaper. The Washington Post described this development as a public display of opposition within President Biden’s foreign policy apparatus, which has worked to prevent such expressions of frustration from spreading.
Paul has spent more than 11 years in his job, in which he coordinates congressional relations and public messaging for a major office that deals with military aid.
He added that he could not accept continuing in a job that contributes to the killing of Palestinian civilians.
