The 'Insider' Who Saw the Obvious: US Israel Policy Is Not New, Just Now Unpopular
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera reports on Josh Paul, a former US State Department official, who resigned in protest over arms transfers to Israel and now advocates for a 'new policy' toward Israel and Palestine, calling current US policy 'destructive.' The piece positions his views as an important insider perspective challenging the status quo. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The
'destructive policy' Paul critiques isn't an anomaly, but a consistent bedrock of US foreign policy. Since its inception in 1948, Israel has received more US foreign aid than any other country, totaling over $158 billion. The systematic dispossession of Palestinians, from the Nakba in 1948 (when 750,000 were expelled) to targeted assassinations like that of Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022, has been
consistently enabled by this military and diplomatic support. Paul's criticisms, while valid, treat a symptom rather than the disease deeply embedded in US imperial interests. Double Standard: When governments like Iran or Venezuela face accusations of human rights abuses, Western media and politicians (including the US State Department) are quick to call for sanctions and arms embargoes. Yet,
when 'allies' like Netanyahu's government commit what the ICJ is investigating as plausible genocide, the US continues to expedite arms transfers and veto UN ceasefire resolutions. For example, during the 2023-24 genocide in Gaza, the Biden administration bypassed Congress twice to send weapons, even as the death toll surpassed 40,000, 70% women and children. This blatant double standard exposes