Ron Paul Defends Himself Against Anti-Israel Accusations

(Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, battling allegations he is anti-Israel, praised it as one of the United States's most important allies in an Israeli newspaper interview published on Thursday.

Paul's emailed comments appeared in the left-wing Haaretz daily after a former aide said the Texas congressman favored abolishing the Jewish state and a leading U.S. Jewish group urged him to clarify his position.

"I believe that Israel is one of our most important friends in the world. And the views that I hold have many adherents in Israel today," Paul was quoted as saying by Haaretz.

Although a longshot to win the Republican presidential race, Paul is a leading contender for next Tuesday's Republican caucus vote in Iowa - the first nominating contest in the nation.

But his record on Israel has raised concerns among U.S. Jewish organizations. The Republican Jewish Coalition declined to invite him to its December 7 candidates forum, citing what it called his extreme views after a November debate in which Paul said Washington should be less involved in Israeli affairs.

"They can take care of themselves," Paul, who has called for reduced U.S. foreign aid generally, said at the time. "Why do we have this automatic commitment that we're going to send our kids and send our money endlessly to Israel?"

Commenting on that issue in the Haaretz interview, Paul said: Two of the tenets of a true Zionist are 'self-determination' and 'self-reliance'."

"We give $3 billion to Israel and $12 billion to her avowed enemies. How does that help Israel? And in return, we act like her master and demand veto power over her foreign policy," he said.

Earlier this week, in a lengthy statement posted on the blog site RightWingNews.com, former congressional aide Eric Dondero said Paul, his one-time boss, had long harbored stridently anti-Israel opinions.

"He wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all. He expressed this to me numerous times in our private conversations," Dondero wrote.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, told Reuters on Wednesday he hoped that Paul would confront the matter.

"MOST PRO-ISRAEL CANDIDATE"

In an emailed statement on Wednesday, Paul's campaign spokesman, Gary Howard, said the congressman "is the most pro-Israel candidate in this race."

As president, Howard said, Paul would "allow Israel to defend herself as she sees fit, without the permission and interference of the U.S. or the United Nations."

Paul previously drew fire for anti-Israeli and racist, anti-gay messages contained in newsletters published under his name two decades ago.

Last Friday, a spokesman for Paul said the congressman apologized for not paying enough attention to "ghost writers" he said were responsible for the remarks in question and repeated the congressman's disavowal of those views.

In the Haaretz interview, Paul said he had always made clear that his message was based on "the rights of all people" to be treated equally.

"Any type of racism or anti-Semitism is incompatible with my philosophy," he said.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller Additional reporting by Steve Gorman and Mary Wisniewski)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

 

 

Comments

[Seawolf56]

05:01 PM on 12/31/2011

Another reason to send money and support Ron Paul! He wants to let Israel free to do what it wants and to cut the 15 Billion a year Israel costs the USA!! What a brilliant man, I'm sending his campaing another check today!! He will win in Iowa and once his message gets out he will win the nomination..

[Andre Leonard]

12:47 PM on 12/31/2011

Ron Paul, is not against anyone. He appears to be about what is fair to everyone. In doing so and not straddling the middle ground, he has encountered the wrath of the status quo. These are the same guys who left you with a $15 trillion deficit and tell you it's America's obligation to have 200 thousand troops overseas on any given day.

The most sensible candidate who believes charity begins at home and the one most likely to end our engagement in expensive overseas adventures (wars) is by a wide margin... Ron Paul,.

[dex216]

02:04 PM on 12/30/2011

The notion that Ron Paul is anti-Israel is laughable. All he's ever said is that Israel is responsible for its own security and should be responsible for handling its own affairs. Yes, he opposes foreign aid to Israel. But so what? He opposes foreign aid to any and all countries. I agree with his views. I don't believe it's the job of the US to take care of, on the one hand, or bully, any nation, and that includes Israel. I think Ron Paul would make a wonderful president

[lbsaltzman]

11:09 AM on 12/30/2011

I don't agree with Paul on much, though I admire his honesty. But now he is the victim of the Zionist political propaganda machine for daring to be an American politician who deviates from blind support of Israel no matter what Israel does.

[Dave Fukya]

12:07 PM on 12/30/2011

During an argument between the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Peres said that Isralis' policies of continued violence might "turn the US against us".

To this Sharon retorted:

"EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING, YOU TELL ME AMERICANS WILL DO THIS AND WILL DO THAT. I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING VERY CLEAR: DON'T WORRY ABOUT AMERICAN PRESSURE ON ISRAEL;

WE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE, CONTROL AMERICA. AND THE AMERICANS KNOW IT."

-- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
October 3, 2001
(IAP News)

It therefore follows that America is fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq under Zionist control. Vampire Squids (you know who I mean) rule America (and most of the world) by proxy. They trick us into fighting and dying for THEM.

Politicians of the 'free world' are too cowardly oppose Zionism.Except of coarse,Ron Paul.

[GilGamish]

07:32 PM on 12/30/2011

Sorry Dave but that quote is a proven hoax hoax.
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_article=34&x_context=2

[JoeMomma]

10:40 AM on 12/30/2011

Makes total sense to me. Let Israel go it alone, and they might actually learn to compromise.

[Rexter]

10:02 AM on 12/30/2011

"They can take care of themselves," Paul, who has called for reduced U.S. foreign aid generally, said at the time. Why do we have this automatic commitment that we're going to send our kids and send our money endlessly to Israel?"

I support that statement, that doesn't make Ron Paul or myself anti-Israeli. It's just common sense.

[myplenny]

11:03 PM on 12/30/2011

Im open minded. Cant stand any of the uncivilised mideast. Screw em all.

[nbj5215]

08:52 AM on 12/30/2011

Ron Paul's stance on drugs may seem very lax but remember he wants to leave it up to the states . There will always be no tolerance for drugs in the military and the merchant marines and rightfully so

[nbj5215]

08:46 AM on 12/30/2011

I would take Ron Paul over Obama any day, however there is better choices out there .

[Ali1812]

09:04 PM on 01/01/2012

like who the rest of the republicans are war mongers who could care less about the average american

[65irwin]

07:44 AM on 12/30/2011

The media just can't stand that Ron Paul is doing well, and those of you who are reading this should send a message the media telling it to stop trying to pick our candidates for us.

Every election, and every issue it's the same thing. When will you people wake up?

It used to be the role of media to be the watch dog and expose the corruption and underhanded dealings in our government. IF a bill like the NDAA would have passed 50 years ago with Infinite detention language in it aimed at the American people, CBS would have been screaming bloody murder.

Wake up America, Ron Paul is your last best hope to spit in the eye of the interests that have taken over our once great nation. Stop falling for the lies and manufactured reality.

Look up the facts about Ron Paul and his views. There is a REASON his supporters are so loyal and so outspoken, it's what happens when you have been asleep all your life and force fed a diet of lies, and then suddenly, miraculously you hear the truth.

Your not the same after that, and people with good hearts won't allow the lies to go unchallenged.

[nite83]

08:51 AM on 12/30/2011

bullseye

[65irwin]

07:40 AM on 12/30/2011

We can nitpick anyone...for instance

OBAMA'S AWESOME RECORD:

REV. WRIGHT?
BILL AYRES?
LARRY SINCLAIR?
COCAINE ABUSE??
ATTENDED A MUSLIM MOSQUE IN INDONESIA?
NO WORK HISTORY BESIDES 1.5YRS OF VOTING "PRESENT" IN THE US SENATE?
NO-ONE THAT EVER ATTENDED HIS SUPPOSED "HARVARD" LECTURES?
NO SCHOOL RECORDS?
NO GRADUATE THESIS?
ILLEGAL RELATIVES?
SOLYNDRA?
VOTER FRAUD CASES DISMISSED AGAINST THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY?
"STIMULUS PACKAGE"
HEALTH CARE MANDATES
EXTREME SUPREME COURT NOMINATIONS
BLOGOVAVICH?
JOHN CORZINE ASSOCIATION?
SUMMER OF RECOVERY?
"AMERICA HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE SOFT"?
"SHOVEL-READY WASN'T AS SHOVEL-READY AS WE THOUGHT"?
"57 STATES?"
"HAWAII IS PART OF ASIA?"
"OBAMA APOLOGY TOUR"
"CORPSE-MEN?"
"ISRAEL SHOULD RETURN TO ITS PRE-1967 BORDERS"
AVERAGE UNEMPLOYMENT 9.0%?
FIRST CREDIT DOWNGRADE IN U.S. HISTORY?
LARGEST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON FOODSTAMPS IN U.S. HISTORY?
LARGEST NATIONAL DEBT OF ALL U.S. PRESIDENTS COMBINED?
GUANTANAMO BAY STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS?
INHERITED 2 WARS, WE ARE NOW IN 6? (LIBYA, YEMEN, SOMALIA, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ(JUST LEFT), UGANDA, AND PROBABLY PAKISTAN AND IRAN)
UNSECURED BORDERS?
SUING STATES THAT ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS?
BOWING TO ARAB PRINCES?
LIGHT-SQUARED SCANDAL?
LARGEST BANK BAILOUT IN US HISTORY?
LOST U.S. DRONE TO IRAN.
16 TRILLION SECRET BANK BAILOUT

[Ali1812]

09:06 PM on 01/01/2012

did you just say attended a muslim masque in indonesia
now im definitly not voting for him

[Dave Fukya]

07:26 AM on 12/30/2011

Hmmm....anti-Israel.Is this the same Israel who just tried to sell China 69 Patriot missiles paid for with $4 billion of your tax dollars?

"During a routine search of the MS Thor Liberty, a ship flagged by the Isle of Man, at the Finnish port of Kotka, authorities found 69 Patriot missiles of a type capable of intercepting ICBMs, the most modern available and America’s most sensitive military technology."

"These units, the most advanced Patriot system had only been supplied to nation, Israel. The 69 Patriot ICBM interceptors are believed to be a highly secret consignment demanded by Israel as protection from any retaliatory strike by Iran were war to break out in the region.

Instead of deploying them, the missiles were apparently sold to China labeled as “fireworks” according to Interior Minister Paivi Rasanen.

Though the missiles themselves were worth only $4 billion, the technology transfer itself would be worth over $125 billion, and represent a significant loss of defense capability for the United States.

Sources termed it, “An absolute disaster, even if they only received the radar systems alone, much less the missiles."

With friends like this who needs liberals?

Ron Paul 2012

[karim banned]

09:13 PM on 01/01/2012

F&F

It is OK that Israelis are looking after their national interests.

The problem is, some of them are in US government and trying to look after Israel interests. That's called treason! That's the problem.

[rayjaywright]

03:57 AM on 12/30/2011

EVERYBODY!!!: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
(They just got him down.)

[honeyspcg]

03:48 AM on 12/30/2011

The only thing scarier than obama is ron paul in the job of president. He is really all that dumb?

[darkskiesrbest]

03:44 AM on 12/30/2011

Both Congressman Paul and his aides regularly meet with members of the Stormfront set, American Renaissance, the Institute for Historic Review, and others at the Tara Thai restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, usually on Wednesdays. This is part of a dinner that was originally organized by Pat Buchanan, Sam Francis and Joe Sobran, and has since been mostly taken over by the Council of Conservative Citizens.

I have attended these dinners, seen Paul and his aides there, and been invited to his offices in Washington to discuss policy.

For his spokesman to call white racialism a “small ideology” and claim white activists are “wasting their money” trying to influence Paul is ridiculous. Paul is a white nationalist of the Stormfront type who has always kept his racial views and his views about world Judaism quiet because of his political position.

I don’t know that it is necessarily good for Paul to “expose” this. However, he really is someone with extensive ties to white nationalism and for him to deny that in the belief he will be more respectable by denying it is outrageous — and I hate seeing people in the press who denounce racialism merely because they think it is not fashionable.

Bill White, Commander
American National Socialist Workers Party

[Carla Rae H]

06:48 AM on 12/30/2011

Lies.

Your agenda is clear. I've been reading your myriad of posts - all of them filled with lies and/or hatred. You don't have half the character Ron Paul has. Pathetic.

[Calamity Jack]

01:44 PM on 12/30/2011

It reminds me of the South Park episode, where the KKK members protest on the side they want to lose, knowing that they will drive away votes.

[Dave Fukya]

07:28 AM on 12/30/2011

Is that you Mr. Foxman? Nice try.

[darkskiesrbest]

03:30 AM on 12/30/2011

Don Black, head racist of the hate site Stormfront, makes it clear that for many years Ron Paul appealed directly to the white supremacist subculture: Stormfront Founder Don Black Says White Supremacists Thought Ron Paul Was ‘One of Us’.