State Department press officer fired over Israel and Gaza messaging, report says
The Washington Post said on Wednesday that Shahed Ghoreishi was dismissed following disputes over how to characterise White House policies, including a plan to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
His firing reportedly occurred days after an internal debate about releasing a statement to media that said: 'We do not support forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.'
US President Donald Trump earlier this year expressed support for displacing Palestinians from Gaza in order to rebuild the enclave into the ' Riviera of the Middle East '.
The Post, quoting anonymous officials, said State Department employees were told that communication straying from ardent pro-Israel messaging – even that which is in line with long-standing US policy – will not be tolerated.
Another dispute involved the killing of several journalists in Gaza city, with Mr Ghoreishi recommending saying the US mourned their loss and expressed condolences to their families – which leadership rejected, according to the Post.
Yet another dispute involved one official's insistence on referring to the West Bank by its biblical name of ' Judea and Samaria ' – which is how US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other officials have recently referred to it.
Earlier on Wednesday, far-right activist Laura Loomer said on X that Mr Ghoreishi had been fired for pushing 'anti-Trump' and 'pro-Iranian regime propaganda' at the State Department.
She highlighted Mr Ghoreishi's time as an intern with the lobbying group the National Iranian American Council, and accused him of holding 'anti-Israel' views.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
39 minutes ago
- Zawya
Asia's imports of US LNG to surge, but likely not enough for Trump: Russell
(The views expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) LAUNCESTON, Australia - There are early signs that some Asian countries are stepping up their imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) as part of trade deals with President Donald Trump. Asia's imports of the super-chilled fuel are on track to hit an eight-month high of 2.01 million metric tons in August, according to data compiled by commodity analysts Kpler. But of far more importance is the Kpler estimate that Asia's LNG imports from the United States will surge to 3.61 million tons in October, which would be the second-highest on record behind the 3.75 million from February 2021. There are caveats to the October prediction insofar as these are cargoes that have been arranged on a preliminary basis and may not actually load. But even if there is some slippage in actual volumes, it's likely that October will still see a surge of U.S. LNG arriving in Asia. The buyers for all this LNG have yet to be fully disclosed, but initial destination data suggest the bulk is heading towards North Asia, and this largely means Japan and South Korea. The world's second- and third-largest LNG buyers both committed to ramp up their energy imports from the United States as part of deals reached with Trump on import tariffs and investment. Japan didn't commit to an exact figure, but the White House website said on July 23 that Tokyo has committed to a "major expansion" of energy purchases from the United States. South Korea undertook to buy energy products worth $100 billion from the United States in a deal announced by Trump on July 30, although the time frame for that value to be reached wasn't made clear. However, the $100 billion figure looks high when compared with how much LNG, crude oil and coal South Korea has historically imported from the United States. South Korea imported 5.71 million tons of U.S. LNG in 2024, which at the current Asian spot price of $11.65 per million British thermal units works out to a total of $3.45 billion. Japan imported 6.50 million tons of LNG from the United States in 2024, according to Kpler, which would have a value of around $3.93 billion at current prices. Even if a tripling of LNG imports from the United States is assumed for Japan and South Korea, the combined value comes only to an annual total of around $22 billion. But the volume imported would rise to around 36 million tons, or about 42% of the 84.8 million tons the United States exported in 2024. TRADE DISRUPTIONS U.S. LNG exports are likely to increase in coming years as new plants come online, but its capacity will be overwhelmed by demand if every country that has pledged to massively boost its imports as part of trade deals actually tries to follow through. Trump said the European Union agreed to buy $250 billion a year for three years of U.S. energy, a figure I described as delusional once the actual volumes needed to meet this figure were considered. What is not delusional is that most countries that have struck deals with Trump will at least make some effort to meet the terms of the deal, even if they all know the stated amounts are unrealistic. Even trying to buy more LNG, crude oil and coal from the United States has the potential to disrupt trade flows around the world and distort pricing. For example, if Japan did triple its LNG imports from the United States to an annual level of around 20 million tons, this would mean that it would likely buy about 12 million tons less from current suppliers such as Australia and Qatar. Japan would likely end up buying virtually no spot cargoes and would also likely be forced to sell term cargoes at discounts to other buyers. It's unlikely Japanese utilities would be willing to wear losses just in order to try to keep Trump happy, so the chances are there is an upper limit as to how much U.S. LNG they will be willing to buy. Furthermore, it's likely that an upper limit is well short of what Trump believes it should be. Enjoying this column? Check out Reuters Open Interest (ROI), your essential new source for global financial commentary. ROI delivers thought-provoking, data-driven analysis of everything from swap rates to soybeans. Markets are moving faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn and X. The views expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters. (Editing by Sam Holmes)
UAE Moments
2 hours ago
- UAE Moments
Netanyahu Accuses Australia of 'Betraying' Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a sharp rebuke at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing him of being weak and 'betraying Israel' over Canberra's decision to recognize Palestinian statehood. In a post on X, Netanyahu stated that Albanese will be remembered for abandoning both Israel and Australia's Jewish community—a striking escalation in diplomatic rhetoric. This exchange follows Australia's announcement that it would join allies like the UK, France, and Canada in formally recognizing a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly. The move, seen as an attempt to reinvigorate the two-state solution amid the Gaza conflict, has deepened tensions with Israel. The spat intensified after Australia rejected a visa for far-left Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman, whom Canberra deemed likely to spread division. In response, Israel revoked visas issued to Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. Australia, however, remained poised—Prime Minister Albanese brushed off Netanyahu's comments, stating he didn't take them personally and remained open to diplomatic engagement. Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke fired back, arguing that true strength isn't judged by 'how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry.' The harsh public exchange has drawn criticism from Jewish community leaders. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) condemned the inflammatory rhetoric, calling on both governments to return to diplomacy. They warned that such confrontations unnecessarily endanger Jewish Australians and feed into antisemitic narratives.
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
Oil prices gain as US inventory withdrawals point to strong demand
TOKYO: Oil prices gained slightly on Thursday as larger-than-expected declines crude oil and fuel inventories in the U.S., the world's biggest oil user, supported expectations for steady demand. Brent crude futures were up 13 cents, or 0.19%, to $66.97 a barrel at 0055 GMT, after gaining 1.6% in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 15 cents, or 0.24%, to $62.86, after climbing 1.4% on Wednesday. U.S. crude inventories fell by 6 million barrels last week to 420.7 million barrels, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, versus analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.8 million-barrel draw. Gasoline stocks dropped by 2.7 million barrels, versus expectations for a 915,000-barrel draw, the EIA said, indicating steady driving demand during the summer travel season. That was also seen in a jump in the four-week average for jet fuel consumption to its highest since 2019. "Crude oil prices rebounded as signs of strong demand in the U.S. boosted sentiment," Daniel Hynes, senior commodity strategist at ANZ, said in a note on Thursday. Still, Hynes cautioned that some "bearish sentiment remains evident as traders continue to monitor negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine." Russia said on Wednesday attempts to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without Moscow's participation were a "road to nowhere," as U.S. and European military planners have begun exploring post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine. The drawn-out efforts to secure peace in Ukraine mean that Western sanctions on Russian oil supply continue to remain in place. The possibility of further U.S. sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil buyers also hang over the market. Russia, however, remains adamant it will keep providing crude to willing buyers, with Russian diplomats in India saying on Wednesday the country expects to continue supplying oil to India despite warnings from the U.S. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced an additional tariff of 25% on Indian goods from August 27 because of their Russian crude purchases. The European Union has also sanctioned Indian private refiner Nayara Energy, which is backed by Russian oil company Rosneft. Indian refiners initially backed off their Russian buying but company officials at state-run Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum have bought Russian oil for September and October delivery, resuming purchases after discounts widened. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
