Paul Pushes for the U.S. to Stop Backing Israel

NJDC — March 2, 2011 – 10:53 am | Foreign Policy | Israel | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) again has shown the incongruence between his foreign policy views and those of the American Jewish community. In a recent interview, Paul reiterated his position that the United States should withdraw its support for Israel, and “let them work it out.”

According to the interview by News Real Blog, Paul says:

We strongly supported all the dictators that surround Israel, and sometimes we buy peace and pay for it. But it’s unstable. And that instability has always been a threat to Israel. Now, when it’s coming apart, and our financial system’s coming apart, Israel is in worse shape than ever because of our so-called protection.

I believe in non-intervention. I believe we should treat all other countries alike, and that we should be friends. Israel is very, very powerful. If we weren’t in there, they could do what they want to protect themselves, and they wouldn’t have to ask us permission, and we would never have to be dragged in if something happens over there. I think they’d be much better off, and that would be a constitutional position.

When asked about a hypothetical situation in which he would support taking action to protect Israel, Paul answered:

First off, they’re under threat because we’re there. We’re a greater threat to them, and our polices, because they have assumed that we’ll [intervene] if they don’t do the right things for themselves.

I don’t know of anybody who can militarily threaten them. They have 300 nuclear weapons. Nobody’s gonna touch them. This notion that we have to support them over the Palestinians - we shouldn’t favor one over the other. It’s a very different problem over there. If you’re a Palestinian-American, you might not like [America’s position on Israel]. I’m not saying you should support the Palestinian side or the Israeli side. I’m saying let them work it out.

NJDC reiterates its call for Republican leadership to publically and explicitly reject Paul’s repeated proposals to abandon Israel. Given Paul’s rising status among certain Republican factions, it is imperative for Republican leaders to denounce Paul’s dangerous ideas. The strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship depends on it. 

 

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