Washington: 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 TRTworld.com, 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." In one post, McCormack described Israel as "our worst ally," arguing that the US gains nothing from the partnership except the enmity of millions in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

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.