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Rand Paul and Israel

These are the people that Rand Paul is trying to placate on Israel: I spoke Tuesday night with David Brog, executive director of the country’s largest pro-Zionist group, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), which has been outspoken in criticizing Paul’s advocacy for cuts in crucial military aid to Israel. Brog explained CUFI’s past concerns: “Paul […]

These are the people that Rand Paul is trying to placate on Israel:

I spoke Tuesday night with David Brog, executive director of the country’s largest pro-Zionist group, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), which has been outspoken in criticizing Paul’s advocacy for cuts in crucial military aid to Israel. Brog explained CUFI’s past concerns: “Paul has thus far seemed oblivious to the reality that Israel’s military is fighting our battles for us and keeping us from having to send our own soldiers to do the job.”

There are many bad arguments for the current level of U.S. aid to Israel, but this is the most absurd by far. How can Paul be “oblivious” to something that is obviously untrue? Which “job” is it that Brog and CUFI think that U.S. soldiers would have to do that is now being performed by Israel? “Pro-Israel” hawks often define Israel’s right to self-defense so broadly that it includes almost anything that the Israeli government does, but I rarely hear the argument that Israeli actions are necessary for the defense of the United States.

Unless he significantly changed his own position, it’s safe to say that Sen. Paul will not be able to placate people with such views. There’s no way to reconcile his position that U.S. aid to Israel imposes a burden on Israel and their position that it allows Israel to fight “our battles for us.” Paul should take a lesson from Obama’s experience over the last four or five years. It should serve as a warning to him that no amount of pandering to “pro-Israel” hawks will ever be sufficient if they decide that you aren’t to be trusted.

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