A State Department official has resigned from the agency over the Biden administration’s approach to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, the official announced on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

Josh Paul – who said he had worked in the Office of Political-Military Affairs (PM) for more than 11 years – said in his LinkedIn post that he was stepping down “due to policy disagreements regarding our continued lethal aid to Israel.” .

“Let me be clear,” Paul wrote. “Hamas’ attacks on Israel are not just an evil thing; it is the ugliness of ugliness. I also believe that possible escalation by Iran-linked groups, such as Hezbollah, or by Iran itself, would amount to a new cynical exploitation of existing groups. tragedy But I believe in the depths of my heart that Israel’s response, and with it America’s support for that response and the status quo of the occupation, will only bring greater and deeper suffering to the Israeli people and Israelis. for Palestine, and not in America’s long-term interests.
The official described the government’s response as “disappointing” and “not surprising.”

“The response of this administration—and that of much of Congress—is an impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political expediency, intellectual bankruptcy, and bureaucratic inertia,” Paul added. “Decades of the same approach have shown that security for the sake of peace will not produce security and peace. “The fact is that blind support for one party will damage the interests of both parties in the long run,” he claimed.

Paul assured that he could not support a series of political decisions that included arms transfers, which he considered “short-sighted, destructive, unfair and contrary to the values ​​we publicly defend.”

In an interview with the New York Times, the former State Department official said that legal barriers intended to keep American weapons from falling into the hands of human rights violators have failed, as the United States supports Israel while the country has cut off its water supply. food, medical care and electricity in Gaza.

“There are times when you can say, this is out of my control, but I know Congress will object,” he told the Times. “But in this case, there will likely be no significant reaction from Congress, no other oversight mechanism, no other forum for debate, and that’s what influenced my decision making.”

When reached for comment, a State Department spokesperson told CNN that the agency declined to comment on “personnel matters.”