Shahed Ghoreishi, the top State Department press officer on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, was fired after internal disputes over U.S. positions on Israel’s war in Gaza. These disputes included:
Forced Displacement: Ghoreishi drafted a statement saying the U.S. does not support the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, but it was removed by State Department leadership despite similar language being used previously by President Trump and a Middle East envoy.
Journalist Killings: Ghoreishi recommended a statement mourning the loss of journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike, including anas al-Sharif of Al Jazeera, but it was rejected because Israel claimed some were Hamas members without providing evidence.ghoreishi criticized the immediate deference to Israeli intelligence.
* West Bank Nomenclature: Ghoreishi prevented the State Department from referring to the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria,” a term favored by some within Israel, maintaining the internationally recognized ”West Bank” terminology.A key figure opposing Ghoreishi was David Milstein,a top adviser to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike huckabee, who pushed for the use of “Judea and Samaria.” Ghoreishi believes his firing was due to these disagreements, orchestrated by senior officials in the State Department and Embassy Jerusalem, who prioritized an agenda over facts and established guardrails. He described Milstein as influential and pushing a specific agenda within the State department.
