A veteran official who worked on arms transfers at the U.S. State Department has resigned his post because of his objection to sending more weapons and ammunition to Israel, which he termed an “impulsive reaction” that would lead to more suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. Paul was a director at the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which serves as the principal channel of communication between the State and Defense departments and is responsible for overseeing the distribution of military aid to foreign countries.
His decision follows President Joe Biden’s pledge of “decisive and overwhelming” support for Israel military forces as they bombard the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza in response to its brutal surprise attack on Oct. 7 that included a barrage of rockets and a mass incursion into southern Israel by land, sea, and air.
The U.S. support, according to the White House, includes deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean to “deter further aggression,” as well as replenishing Israel’s multibillion-dollar “Iron Dome” air defense system, which has so far successfully intercepted most of the rockets fired from Gaza.
“Let me be clear: Hamas’ attack on Israel was not just a monstrosity; it was a monstrosity of monstrosities,” Mr. Paul wrote, noting that he also believes that the conflict could be further escalated by the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group or by Iran itself.
“But 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.”
It’s “entirely unsurprising” that the Biden administration would react the way it did to the Israel–Hamas war, since Washington has been doing the same for decades, said Mr. Paul, who was involved in the transfer of weapons to U.S. allies for 11 years.
“Decades of the same approach have shown that security for peace leads to neither security, nor to peace,” he wrote. “The fact is, blind support for one side is destructive in the long term to the interests of the people on both sides.”
Biden Reaffirms US Support for Israel
During his speech in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, President Biden reassured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Jewish state’s war effort has Washington’s complete support.“For decades, we’ve ensured Israel’s qualitative military edge,” the president said, describing himself as the “first U.S. president to visit Israel in time of war.”
“Later this week, I’m going to ask the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense. We are going to keep Iron Dome fully supplied so it can continue standing sentinel over Israeli skies, saving Israeli lives.”
President Biden also promised $100 million in aid for humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, noting that he had secured a pathway that would allow food, water, and medical supplies to enter the southern part of Gaza through Egypt, with the backing of both Israeli and Egyptian governments.
Mr. Netanyahu, who has mobilized more than 300,000 Israeli troops in preparation for a highly anticipated ground attack into Gaza, thanked President Biden for the “steadfast commitment” to provide Israel with the “tools we need to defend ourselves.”
“We see that support in the clear message you’ve sent our enemies not to test our resolve and in the two American carrier battle groups that you sent to the region to back up those words with action,” he said.
“But above all, Mr. President, the world sees that support in the moral clarity that you have demonstrated from the moment Israel was attacked.”
