Domestic policy concerns are leading US officials willfully to ignore Israeli "war crimes" -- and to stifle dissent over arming the country -- a former senior State Department staffer who quit in protest told AFP Wednesday.
Josh Paul caused a stir in Washington when he resigned last month, one of the more high profile protests at US policy from within the State Department.
In an interview, he said that while many officials are disturbed by the actions of the Israeli military as it responds to Hamas's October 7 surprise attack, 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.
