US ignores Israeli 'war crimes' in Gaza for domestic politics — ex-official

Domestic policy concerns are leading US officials willfully to ignore Israeli "war crimes" in besieged Gaza — and to stifle dissent over arming the country — a former senior State Department staffer who quit in protest has told the AFP news agency.

Josh Paul caused a stir in Washington when he resigned last month, one of the more high-profile protests against US policy from within the State Department.

In an interview on Wednesday, he said that while many officials are disturbed by the actions of the Israeli military as it responds to Hamas' October 7 surprise blitz, they turn a blind eye to rules governing arms transfers, which demand consideration of whether US weapons will be used to violate international law.

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

"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," he said.

Yet the United States keeps supplying weapons "where it was clear — and as we have seen — that they were going to be used to kill so many civilians," he said.

"Criticism of Israel is often seen as a third rail in American politics, particularly in Congress," Paul said.

"And this is a deterrent to US officials to come out and say in public what they believe in private."

The Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory, followed by an ongoing ground invasion, has killed more than 11,500 people, including 4,710 children and 3,160 women, according to authorities in Gaza.

The Israeli death toll stands at 1,200, according to official figures.

Career-killing decision

As international outrage at the toll of Israel's bombardment has mounted, Washington has stood steadfast behind Tel Aviv.

That includes bolstering the weapons pipeline to Israel's military.

In the past, there has been internal State Department debate on transferring US arms to countries with checkered human rights records, including specific Israeli military units, Paul said.

But no longer.

"There was no space for any discussion or debate around this concern, as there had been in every other issue I've been involved in previously in the bureau," he said.

"We were just being told to move arms as quickly as we could."

The rules restricting arms transfers are loose, Paul said, leaving space for policymakers, in a "willful" manner, "to simply not decide" whether the Israeli military has violated human rights in besieged Gaza.

Protests and acrimonious debates have flared across the country over the ongoing Israeli war on the blockaded enclave, especially on US college campuses, and both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic crimes have increased, according to the Justice Department.

Paul said the levels of division within the US government — including elected officials — are comparable to the tension ahead of the country's 2003 invasion of Iraq.

But he cautioned that stepping down wasn't an option for most government employees, who can't risk losing their health care or salaries.

"There is the risk of it being a career killer if you resign on this particular issue."