Trump Administration Pulls Intel Job Offer for Israel’s Gaza Genocide Critic

Washington (Quds News Network)- The Trump administration pulled a job offer to commentator Daniel Davis for the position of deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration over his criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to reports. He had referred to U.S. support for the war as a “stain on our character as a nation.”

Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at a Washington think tank, was reportedly expected to be named to the position of deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration, until his appointment was abruptly withdrawn Wednesday.

The New York Times reported that DNI Tulsi Gabbard “opted not to name” Davis to the position.

Davis has been critical of Israel’s war on Gaza. He described US. support for the assault as a “stain on our character as a nation” and a “strategic and moral mistake.” He also said that Iran does not pose a threat to the US. His views are at odds with the Trump administration and members of both parties on Capitol Hill.

The administration had not publicly confirmed the decision to appoint Davis, but it was confirmed to POLITICO by Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Warner described Davis as “utterly unqualified” for “any role in intelligence analysis, particularly one as important as Deputy DNI.”

The planned appointment was first reported by Jewish Insider earlier Wednesday. Opposition to the move built throughout the day from lawmakers and other supporters of Israel.

A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Davis made headlines in 2012 when, shortly after returning from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan, he publicly accused military leaders of misleading the public about the progress of the war.

The Defense Priorities think tank in Washington, where Davis serves as senior fellow, advocates for a more limited use of U.S. military force overseas.

Before Mr. Davis’s appointment was pulled, the Anti-Defamation League said on Wednesday that the appointment would be “extremely dangerous.” In a social media post, the group accused Mr. Davis of minimizing Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and undermining American support for Israel.

The consideration of Davis had upset some hawkish conservatives in Congress, who quietly worked to persuade the administration to reconsider. These officials feared that Davis’s views of the war in Gaza could undermine the Trump administration’s support for Israel, The Times said.

Former intelligence officials were also critical of the pick. Marc Polymeropoulos, a former C.I.A. operations officer and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Davis’s positions were outside the ideological mainstream of the Republican Party.

“His overt criticism of Israel and total opposition to any military action against Iran seems to run counter to current administration policy,” he said.