Josh Paul & Tariq Habash: Countering the AIPAC Narrative…A New Middle East Policy.
Date and Time
Sep 8, 2025 6:00 pm
Location
450K
450 K St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001
Sep 8, 2025 6:00 pm
450K
On the occasion of the 20 year anniversary of Busboys and Poets, join us for a critical conversation with Josh Paul and Tariq Habash, two prominent voices challenging conventional U.S. policy toward the Middle East.
As former officials who resigned from government positions over America’s role in the region, Paul and Habash bring unique insights into how policy is shaped—and how it can be reimagined.
Together, they will unpack the influence of AIPAC and similar lobbying groups, examine the realities behind the dominant narrative, and explore alternative paths toward peace, justice, and accountability in the Middle East.
This timely discussion will offer audiences the opportunity to engage with new perspectives and consider what a just U.S. policy could look like—one that moves beyond entrenched talking points and toward a future centered on dignity and human rights for all people in the region.
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A New Policy is led by Josh Paul and Tariq Habash, two Americans who courageously resigned from government over the Biden Administration’s disgraceful policy toward Gaza. With their years of vital experience in the political and policymaking processes, and alongside a highly-credentialed group of advisors, directors, staff and volunteers that includes former legislative staff, policymakers, and corporate executives, they spearhead A New Policy’s multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
Josh Paul, Director
Josh Paul is co-founder of A New Policy. He resigned from the State Department in October, 2023 due to his disagreement with the Biden Administration’s decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel in the context of its war on Gaza. He had previously spent over 11 years working as a Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is responsible for U.S. defense diplomacy, security assistance, and arms transfers. He previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Army Staff, and as a Military Legislative Assistant for a Member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee. Josh grew up between London and New York, and holds Masters degrees from the Universities of Georgetown and St Andrews, Scotland. He is a recipient of the 2023 Callaway Award for Civic Courage and 2024 MedGlobal Award for Courage.
Tariq Habash, Director
Tariq Habash is co-founder of A New Policy. He resigned from the U.S. Department of Education in January, 2024 due to the Biden Administration’s policy on Gaza and its unrestricted support for Israel’s aggression against Palestinians. Tariq served for three years as a political appointee and policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, where he led the policy office’s student loan portfolio, regulatory policy planning, and budget development process across higher education issues. He was the second government official, and the first political appointee to publicly resign from the Biden Administration. Prior to government Tariq spent years working on federal policy on education finance and racial equity, and was a co-founder of the Student Borrower Protection Center. Tariq is a Palestinian-American, and grew up in Middletown, Ohio. He holds degrees from the University of Miami and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
