Pentagon fires senior officer who called Netanyahu and his allies 'Judeo-supremacist cronies'

A senior US military official has been removed from his post after it was revealed that he had repeatedly criticised Israel and US policy on his social media account.

Colonel Nathan McCormack, who served as the Levant and Egypt branch chief at the Joint Chiefs of Staff's J5 planning directorate, was dismissed from his role following the emergence of his posts, according to Jewish News Syndicate, the hawkish and Israeli-linked outlet that first reported the story.

According to Middle East Eye, McCormack's posts accused Washington of enabling Israel's "bad behavior" and added: "The Western states go to great lengths to avoid criticism of Israel, much out of Holocaust guilt."

"Israel's actions over decades have prompted accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide," McCormack also wrote.

His posts, which have since been archived, also included criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

McCormack referred to him and his allies as "Judeo-supremacist cronies" and accused them of wanting "to expel [Palestinians] and cleanse ‘Eretz Israel’ [Israeli territory] of ethnic Palestinians."

McCormack in one post said Israel is "our worst 'ally.' We get literally nothing out of the 'partnership' other than the enmity of millions of people in the Middle East, Africa and Asia."

This guy's removal is a treason. Colonel Nathan McCormack removed from his position after calling Israel a “death cult,” referring to Netanyahu and his ilk as “Judeo-supremacist cronies,” and asking whether the US is functioning as Israel’s proxy. pic.twitter.com/CwTzqksTyh

— Furkan Gözükara (@GozukaraFurkan) June 18, 2025

A Pentagon official told the publication that the Department of Defense is "aware of the situation" and is "investigating."

The official added that McCormack "has been returned to his service," meaning he is no longer assigned to the Joint Staff while the matter is under review.

The official also stated that "the content posted on the X account does not reflect the position of the Joint Staff or the Department of Defense."

An investigating officer has been assigned to review the archived posts.

The incident has sparked backlash on social media, where many users argued that while the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantees free expression, criticism of Israel often appears to be an exception.

Commentators noted that it is common to criticise even the US president without repercussion, but similar remarks about Israel can result in professional consequences, a pattern some say points to the influence of pro-Israel lobbying networks in Washington.

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Source: TRT