Should Jews support Ron Paul?
One of the things I discovered the other day when I posted about Ron Paul is that there are apparently lots of web surfers out there that sit and wait for posts about him. Within minutes my site meter started to register dozens of Google searches looking for articles on the Presidential candidate. Traffic increased for a day or so, before going back to normal levels. So if I do a post about him every day, maybe my traffic will rise permanently.....Apparently, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency has discovered the same thing. They have another article on Paul today.
Today's article deals with the apparently small number of Jews who support Ron Paul. According to JTA, the reason he's so unpopular among Jews is not so much the company he keeps as his isolationist ideology that will not allow him to support US foreign aid to Israel. Some people think that's a good thing, because Israel's dependency on foreign aid means that it is required to be 'obedient' to the United States.
"Many of us believe the current relationship between the United States and Israel is a very unhealthy relationship, like that of a man and concubine, or a slave and master," HaKohen said.I agree that the present relationship between the US and Israel is sometimes unhealthy. I don't like the fact that Israel sometimes feels its freedom of action is constricted by what it sometimes perceives to be US dictates. On the other hand, I am just as happy that Israel is not talking to Syria (which was alluded to above when they said that the US prevents Israel from engaging in dialogue with nations of which it does not approve). And were it not for the US protecting Israel - in the UN and elsewhere - I am not convinced that the Europeans would not have succeeded long ago in forcing us back to the pre-1967 'Auschwitz borders.'
"We think that Israel should be an ally to the United States but not a vassal to the United States," he added. "I don't think it's important for me as an Israeli for America to defend me. I don't think it's morally appropriate for American soldiers to fight Iran for me. American aid does more harm than good. These are insults to our national sovereignty."
While traveling from Washington to New Hampshire to campaign earlier this month, Paul provided a statement to JTA explaining his position on Israel.
"I support free trade and friendship with all nations, meaning that my administration would treat Israel as a friend and trading partner. Americans would be encouraged to travel to and trade with Israel," Paul said.
"Our foreign military aid to Israel is actually more like corporate welfare to the U.S. military industrial complex, as Israel is forced to purchase only U.S. products with the assistance. We send almost twice as much aid to other countries in the Middle East, which only insures increased militarization and the drive toward war. "
In fact, combined U.S. aid to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and other friendly Arab nations is roughly commensurate with the $2.4 billion military aid package Israel currently gets.
"We have adopted a foreign policy that has left Israel surrounded by militaristic nations while undermining Israel's sovereignty by demanding that its foreign and defense policies be essentially pre-approved in Washington," he added. "That is a bad deal for Israel, as sovereign nations must determine on their own what is a most appropriate national defense. On foreign policy as well, the U.S. steps in to prevent Israel from engaging in dialogue with nations of which the U.S. administration disapproves."
...
[Paul's campaign manager Lew] Moore said he has visited the Web site of Jews For Ron Paul, but hasn't worked with the group and doesn't know anything about the size of its membership. The Paul campaign, he added, was disappointed but not surprised that Paul hadn't been invited to speak at the recent Republican Jewish Coalition forum. The campaign manager also said that he knew of no Jewish groups that had asked Paul to speak.
The RJC's spokeswoman said that Paul's isolationist stance contradicts her group's belief in strengthening U.S. ties with Israel. Paul's consistent record of voting against aid to Israel was a factor in the group's decision not to invite the candidate, Suzanne Kurtz said.
Kurtz also said the format of the forum, which gave each candidate 45 minutes to address the audience, meant there was not time for all of the candidates to appear. Only Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Sam Brownback and Fred Thompson spoke. Brownback has since dropped out of the race.
"It's been clear throughout Ron Paul's tenure in Congress that his positions regarding Israel and the Middle East are significantly outside the mainstream of the Republican Party," Kurtz said. "We hold Paul's positions as both wrong for Israel and wrong for America. Because of these positions, Paul does not enjoy any support from the top leadership of the RJC."
Hadar Susskind, the Washington director for the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, said that his organization has had little interaction with Paul during his tenure in Congress, in part due to the fact that Paul has received very few committee appointments.
"Ron Paul is an interesting political figure. For good or for bad he takes public positions that are unpopular within his party," said Susskind, whose organization does not endorse candidates. "But he's not a member who we've had a tremendous amount of interaction with."
The fact that Israel has to buy US weapons with US aid money does not bother me. Israeli technology is incorporated into many of those weapons, and the weapons development cooperation that goes on between the US and Israel is a win-win situation for both countries' military-industrial complexes. So I'm not persuaded by that argument either.
I'm glad HaKohen doesn't think the US should be defending us. They have never done so on a battlefield and Israel has never asked the US to do so. In fact, most Israelis have been strongly opposed to the stationing of US forces between us and our Arab enemies, largely out of fear that we would be blamed if harm befell them.
I have no problems with the US fighting Iran with us (not for us, but with us). HaKohen - and many of Paul's followers - make the mistake of thinking that Iran is only an Israeli issue. It's not. There is every indication that Israel is just the first step for Iran and that it plans to take control of the Persian Gulf (which would directly affect US oil supplies) and go after Europe and the US next. Why should the US wait for any of that to happen before acting?
The JTA makes a misleading statement in this story. It says that "In fact, combined U.S. aid to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and other friendly Arab nations is roughly commensurate with the $2.4 billion military aid package Israel currently gets." That's misleading. US aid to Egypt alone is fairly close to that number. Jordan is the only other country that makes the list and it got $460 million in foreign aid in 2005 (Egypt got $1.84 billion). Lebanon and "other friendly Arab nations" don't make the list. But when the US gives aid to Israel, it's not just to offset foreign aid received by Arab countries but also to offset the effects of US weapons sales to Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, as well as Soviet and Iranian money and weapons being given to Syria. Israel is the only stable friend the US has in this region. The RJC and other mainstream groups recognize that.
Should Jews support Ron Paul? Not based on this record.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:30 PM
3 Comments:
not to mention that the white supremacist support for ron paul and the enthusiastic endorsement of guys like pat buchanan should make anyone leery
Sultan Knish,
I discussed Paul's neo-Nazi connections in a post earlier this week.
Your reasons for not supporting Paul have nothing to do with his stance. As such, your argument is nothing but a red herring that aims to protect welfare to Israel at the expense of American taxpayers who owe Israel nothing.
"I don't like the fact that Israel sometimes feels its freedom of action is constricted by what it sometimes perceives to be US dictates. On the other hand, I am just as happy that Israel is not talking to Syria."
This is a false dichotomy. If you don't like that Israel feels constricted, stop asking for the binds of the welfare arrangements. Even without US welfare, Israel may decide to close dialog with Syria.
"And were it not for the US protecting Israel - in the UN and elsewhere - I am not convinced that the Europeans would not have succeeded long ago in forcing us back to the pre-1967 'Auschwitz borders.'"
If Israel is not able to protect itself, it is not a viable State, and currently Israel is an illegal occupying force in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jeruselem.
"Israeli technology is incorporated into many of those [US] weapons, and the weapons development cooperation that goes on between the US and Israel is a win-win situation for both countries' military-industrial complexes."
This, again, has nothing to do with welfare. I'm glad that you like the fact that our militaries cooperate, but this could ocur without Israel begging for and the US supplying welfare - unless Israel would withdraw its cooperation in the case that US welfare stopped rolling in.
"I'm glad HaKohen doesn't think the US should be defending us. They have never done so on a battlefield and Israel has never asked the US to do so. In fact, most Israelis have been strongly opposed to the stationing of US forces between us and our Arab enemies, largely out of fear that we would be blamed if harm befell them."
Yet again, this has nothing to do with the fact that Israel does not need to be on the US dole.
"There is every indication that Israel is just the first step for Iran and that it plans to take control of the Persian Gulf (which would directly affect US oil supplies) and go after Europe and the US next."
The fact, if it is indeed a fact, that Iran 'plans' to take over the world does not mitigate the fact that Iran is helpless to carry out this plan. They can't even defeat Iraq, let alone Israel, and this won't change when Israel starts carrying its own weight.
"But when the US gives aid to Israel, it's not just to offset foreign aid received by Arab countries but also to offset the effects of US weapons sales to Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, as well as Soviet and Iranian money and weapons being given to Syria."
This is really your best argument, but it fails the fairness test. Life is not fair, and the US has no prerequisite obligation to supply Israel with unearned money just because it decides to do so for Israel's neighbors. Now, America shouldn't give anybody American taxpayer money, but this is beside the point. Israel does not deserve American tax dollars it has never earned.
"Israel is the only stable friend the US has in this region. The RJC and other mainstream groups recognize that."
And I would assume the Israel would not stop being a friend to America just because she is required to carry her own weight. Unless you are claiming that Israel's friendship exists at a price beyond mutual interest and cooperation. But, that is not the type of friend worth having, so I know that you can't mean that.
"Should Jews support Ron Paul? Not based on this record."
They should support him if they care about traditional American values and sovereignty. But if they support Israeli welfare above American interests, then they should take their vote elswhere - like to Israel.
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