Josh Paul’s Post

It isn't surprising that so many respond w/ such hostility to this thoughtful opinion by an expert in the region who is willing to end his career based upon his principles. We live in hostile times. It's sad nonetheless. For his critics, assume we agree Israel is 100% in the right & that they have committed no actions whatsoever that are cause for the slightest regret, I think a key question remains: Is anything Israel doing actually effective? -Are the hostages safer or more at risk now? -Is the population of Gaza more or less hostile towards Israel? -Is it more or less likely that Hamas or something even more woeful keeps power in Gaza and the West Bank -How will Israel know when its objectives are achieved and what are they? Is the objective to kill anyone who hates Israel and wishes it harm? This seems like an unachievable goal. -Also, a 1 state solution is impossible (understandably so) and a 2 state solution is ever further away. What is the endgame for Palestine if both 1 state and 2 state solutions become increasingly implausible? Finally, one hypothetical: Is there any act Israel could do during this war that you feel would be unjustified? Or is it "By definition, if it is done by my side, it is righteous..." Peace.

Kind words to you, and I am in full agreement with all you say. I feel the US will be ethnic cleansing with my tax dollars, and I don't want someone killed in my name though my government. Yet, I had no say. I have no way to stop this vengeful, political event. And make no mistake, this is more political than anything else. It's horrid to even think about, especially if you have the imagination to place yourself inside the situation--trapped and attacked with no way out. Did the Israelis learn nothing from their own history? Did they retain only bitterness and gain no empathy, no compassion?

This move required a deep amount of soul searching and bravery. To boldly claim the “why” knowing the public vitriol you might face. Half the population of Gaza is under 18. Children…. You selected kindness. The US always has its hand in the cookie jar. We caused this. Unfortunately, many do not fully understand the history and duality of how we are part of this conflict. We also will be giving another 100BILLION of foreign aid ( I guess we can print the money when we need to) while tpeople suffer from devastating situations around the world. Why do we not increase our foreign aid to them? Sudan, Yemen, unstable government in Guatemala, etc… We know what this is about. We always have. Godspeed. 🙏🏽

Here is a man of Principles who in 11 years at a sensitive post in State Department stood firmly against obscure concsessions to any nation. Palestine existed before USA or many other nations were created like Israel in 1948. The Bibical Israel was a tiny kingdom next to Canan. US Government needs to wake up and refrain from creating universal Holocaust. Endorse the UNSC resolutions of 1967. Forcing Israel to evacuate the Israelites with personal movable goods to Israel from West Bank. All buildings at the settlement to be handed to UN Security Observation Team. NATO members refrained from participating in withrawal of Israeli forces from Palestine territories. UN sanctions on supply of Ordnance to both Israel and Palestine.

I admire your courage. It sickens me to think our country will be majorly involved in another senseless war. I have long considered Israel an apartheid state. The government of Israel does not negotiate in good faith, they allow the massive expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territory and they provoke Palestinian civilians by defacing their revered cultural sites. While I DO NOT condone the violence perpetrated by Hamas, I do feel that the Palestinian people lost hope years ago. When people feel they have nothing left to lose, they do desperate things. Rather than fuel further violence, we need to pressure Israel, and the Palestinians, to negotiate and enforce a resolution. This will never happen as long as we fund grossly disproportionate violence by Israel against the Palestinian people. Josh, I have family in the West Bank. People like you keep me from totally dispairing about their future. May peace envelope us all.

As a retired Non-Career FS1 Foreign Service Officer at USAID, I was shocked by the UN veto of what sounded like an eminently reasonable resolution condemning violence and urging humanitarian assistance. That veto clearly put us in opposition to the rest of the world.  Our support for the Israeli people is fully justified, but Netanyahu and his allies seem to have been active contributors to the conditions that led up to the horrendous and despicable assault by Hamas that murdered some 1,400 Israelis. Allying with Netanyahu may already have shattered our relationships with Muslim countries, particularly in the Middle East, that may take eons to heal. We have certainly shattered any potential role as “honest broker” between Israel and the Palestinians. Maybe China will now fill that role. While providing defensive munitions for the Iron Dome seems appropriate, it is not in our national interest, nor to reasonable moral standards, to provide offensive weapons that may contribute to the collateral damage slaughter of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom have already been victims of Hamas oppression. Nor is it in Israel’s interests to receive any encouragement in converting sympathy to outrage that will lead it to pariah status.

I am saddened to see people commenting being so blinded to the truth , a conflict that’s been unravelling for 75 years where an occupant has placed a siege to the palestian people and committed numerous attacks has been attacked by Hamas in retaliation on October 7th and since then multiple war crimes are committed by Israel without being held accountable for any of them but in the contrary supported and still funded by the US . I APPLAUD YOU SIR AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR MORALS AND HUMANITY TO NOT SUPPORT GENOCIDE!

Nick Schifrin: Just to be clear, are you saying that there have been units inside Israel's Defense Force that the State Department has been concerned about… Josh Paul: Yes. Nick Schifrin: … their violations or their actions, you have brought that to senior officials and over the years consistently they have not acted on them? Josh Paul: That is correct. PBS: Ex-State Department official explains resigning over U.S. response to Israel-Hamas war https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/state-department-official-explains-why-he-resigned-over-u-s-response-to-israel-hamas-war Thank you Josh for taking a courageous stand in the name of conscience, humanity, and compassion – for ALL of the innocents. 🙏🏾