know, I'll get a response highlighting non intervention, blah blah
blah, but it still reads Mr. Paul supports Israel.
In an exclusive Newsmax interview, Congressman and Republican
presidential candidate Ron Paul confirmed his support for Israel, but
cautioned that while the United States should be a "friend" of the
Jewish state, America should not be the "master" of Israel.
Paul also says the United States should not dictate Israel's borders
or try to "buy her allegiance" with massive amounts of foreign aid. He
argued that foreign aid has actually hurt – not helped – the Jewish
state.
The interview was conducted by Newsmax contributor Doug Wead, a
presidential historian and New York Times best-selling author.
Paul has recently come under fire from some Jewish groups in America.
The Republican Jewish Coalition banned Paul from a debate on Jewish
issues in Washington this week because of his "misguided and extreme
views," according to the group's executive director, Matt Brooks.
Newsmax chatted with Paul to get his side of the issue as the Texas
Republican is surging in some presidential polls.
A new Washington Post-ABC News survey in Iowa shows him threatening
Mitt Romney as the second-leading candidate behind Newt Gingrich. Paul
is now tied with Romney in the early caucus state with 18 percent of
the vote, behind Gingrich's 33 percent.
Rep. Paul's interview with Newsmax follows:
Newsmax: What should our relationship be with Israel?
Ron Paul: We should be their friend and their trading partner. They
are a democracy and we share many values with them. But we should not
be their master. We should not dictate where their borders will be nor
should we have veto power over their foreign policy.
This is not just about Israel, by the way, this is about how we should
conduct ourselves with other countries around the world.
Newsmax: But Israel is not like other countries. We have a large
Jewish population in America. What do you say to those who criticize
your policy toward Israel?
Ron Paul: I think that some not only misunderstand the American
Constitution and the role we should have in the world, they also
misunderstand Zionism. Part of the original idea of Zionism, as I
understand it, was that there should be Jewish independence and Jewish
self-reliance. Today, America doesn't want anyone to be self-reliant.
We want to rule the world and be the saviors of the world and we are
going broke in the process.
Newsmax: Some object to your policy of cutting foreign aid to Israel.
Ron Paul: I have objected to all foreign aid. I define foreign aid as
taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving it to rich
people in poor countries. We just can't keep doing this. We don't have
the money anymore.
Stop and consider America's policy: We give $3 billion a year to
Israel in loans; and we give $12 billion or more in assistance to
Israel's self-declared enemies. Some of these are countries that say
they will drive Israel into the sea.
Newsmax: What do you say to evangelical Christians who want that aid
to continue?
Ron Paul: I say to them that our aid in the region is out of balance
and it is wrong. Foreign aid does not help Israel. It is a net
disadvantage. I say to them that "the borrower is servant to the
lender" and America should never be the master of Israel and its fate.
We should be her friend.
In October, 1981, most of the world and most of the Congress voiced
outrage over Israel's attack on Iraq and their nuclear development. I
was one of the few who defended her right to make her own decisions on
foreign policy and to act in her own self-interest.
Newsmax: What then, if anything, should we do for Israel?
Ron Paul: We should share intelligence for mutually agreed-upon goals.
We should honor our pledge to refuse any arms sales that would
undermine Israel's qualitative military edge in the region.
But we should stop interfering with them. We should not announce
bargaining positions even before she begins her negotiations. We
should not dictate what she can and cannot do. We should stop trying
to buy her allegiance. And Israel should stop sacrificing their
sovereignty as an independent state to us or anybody else, no matter
how well-intentioned.
Read more on Newsmax.com: Ron Paul Tells Newsmax: I Support Israel
Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!
--
Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/
* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment