NJDC Slams Sen. Paul for Refusing to Reject Iran Containment
Listed in: Israel, Other Foreign Policy, GOP Hypocrisies, NJDC News, Press Releases
“With today’s declaration from Senator Paul, will pro-Israel Republicans finally speak out against the Senator’s dangerous views and his increasing power in our nation’s foreign policy debate?”
WASHINGTON, DC- The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) today slammed Republican Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Tea Party icon, for refusing to reject a containment strategy for Iran. NJDC’s Executive Director Aaron Keyak said:
“Today, Senator Rand Paul once again showed that he is out of step with the mainstream consensus on foreign policy by refusing to reject a containment strategy for Iran. When the President of the United States, Israeli leaders, and the Senator’s own colleagues unequivocally reject a containment strategy for Iran, it’s precisely because a nuclear-armed Iran cannot be realistically contained. NJDC sounded the alarm when Senator Paul was selected to serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and when he called for a reduction in aid to Israel. With today’s declaration from Senator Paul, will pro-Israel Republicans finally speak out against the Senator’s dangerous views and his increasing power in our nation’s foreign policy debate?”
Senator Paul said today during his address to the Heritage Foundation:
Understandably, no one wants to imagine what happens if Iran develops nuclear weapons. But if we don’t have at least some of that discussion now, the danger exists that war is the only remedy. No one—myself included—wants to see a nuclear Iran. Iran does need to know that all the options are on the table. But we should not preemptively announce that diplomacy or containment will never be an option.
In a recent Senate resolution, the bipartisan consensus stated that we will never contain Iran should they get a nuclear weapon. In the debate I made the point that while I think it unwise to declare that we will contain a nuclear Iran—we should denounce that—I think it’s equally unwise to say we will never contain a nuclear Iran. War should never be the only option. Let me be clear, I don’t want to Iran to have nuclear weapons. But I also don’t want to decide with certainty that war is the only option.
In September 2012, Paul was the only “no” vote on the Senate resolution ruling out containment.
Since joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Paul has also called for “gradual” cuts to Israel’s aid and raised questions about funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system, which has saved countless Israeli lives.
Prior to his committee membership, Senator Paul twice pushed for ending U.S. “welfare” (in his words) for Israel—which prompted seven Democratic Senators to author a letter firmly rejecting Paul’s proposal. Further, Paul has been a staunch opponent of general U.S. foreign aid—which has long been supported by the pro-Israel community—and even used his leadership PAC to push his anti-foreign aid agenda during the 2012 campaign.
