Overview

• Contractor Shahed Ghoreishi, the bureau’s lead press officer on Israeli‑Palestinian affairs, was terminated over the weekend after complaints from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem about his draft responses to media inquiries.
• A line stating that the United States does not support the forced relocation of Gazans was removed at the embassy’s direction, even though President Donald Trump and envoy Steve Witkoff have previously voiced that position.
• Ghoreishi also questioned use of the term “Judea and Samaria” for the West Bank and drafted condolences for journalists killed in Gaza, positions that leadership rejected in internal reviews, according to documents and officials.
• Deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott declined to address the personnel move and said the department has zero tolerance for misconduct or leaks and expects employees to follow the president’s agenda.
• The Washington Post first reported the firing; right‑wing activist Laura Loomer claimed influence over the decision, which Ghoreishi denies, and some officials say the episode has sent a chilling message inside the department.