Ron Paul On Israel – OpEd
By Mondoweiss
By Adam Horowitz
From a Haaretz interview with Paul at the end of December:
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. Two of the tenets of a true Zionist are “self-determination” and “self-reliance.” I do not believe we should be Israel’s master but, rather, her friend. We should not be dictating her policies and announcing her negotiating positions before talks with her neighbors have even begun. . .
I am the one candidate who would respect Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate to her about how she should deal with her neighbors. I supported Israel’s right to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor in the 1980s, and I opposed President Obama’s attempt to dictate Israel’s borders this year.
Guess non-interventionism cuts both ways. Here’s a longer excerpt:
Q. What was your reaction to your exclusion from the function held by the Republican Jewish Coalition, to which all the rest of the candidates were invited?
Paul: Well, it was a bit surprising and disappointing. 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. Two of the tenets of a true Zionist are “self-determination” and “self-reliance.” I do not believe we should be Israel’s master but, rather, her friend. We should not be dictating her policies and announcing her negotiating positions before talks with her neighbors have even begun.
Q. Were you disappointed with the lack of collegiality of the other candidates, who did not insist that you be invited as well?
Paul: No. I did not ask or expect them to boycott the event or insist to the organizers that I be invited.
Q. The RJC characterized your views on Israel as “misguided and extreme”. Why do you think they view your views in that way?
Paul: I do not know, as I am the one candidate who would respect Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate to her about how she should deal with her neighbors. I supported Israel’s right to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor in the 1980s, and I opposed President Obama’s attempt to dictate Israel’s borders this year.
Q. Do you think that the American debate on Israel is stifled?
Paul: There is no question that the problems of the Middle East have been intractable and may take new solutions and ideas. These ideas should all be openly discussed. I believe that my opinions have been distorted by those who want to continue America’s current role as world policeman, which we don’t have the money or manpower to sustain.
My philosophy, like that of the Founding Fathers, is that we should use our resources to protect our nation. Our policies of intervention and manipulation in Iran and Iraq and other places have led to unintended consequences and have not made Israel safer. Many in the Jewish community share my opinion, and it’s vital for both nations that we continue to have an open dialogue.
Phil had referred this interview earlier when Paul says, regarding Iran:
I believe I’m the only candidate who would allow Israel to take immediate action to defend herself without having to get our approval. Israel should be free to take whatever steps she deems necessary to protect her national security and sovereignty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZwguHyXgbgM
Adam Horowitz is Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net
This article appeared at Mondoweiss.net here: http://mondoweiss.net/2012/01/ron-paul-on-israel.html
The paragraph below is the most interesting – how many times have we all been told that Israel will draw the US into a war with Iran when the truth of the matter is below;
I believe I’m the only candidate who would allow Israel to take immediate action to defend herself without having to get our approval. Israel should be free to take whatever steps she deems necessary to protect her national security and sovereignty.
Well said. It is important that Israel deal with their own neighbors and take care of their own, just as the U.S. government needs to turn it’s attention back to it’s intended Constitutional functions and rejoining proper role in working for the people of the United States.
This interview is pure fantacy. What does “defend itself” really mean? The US provides billions of dollars in weapons and Israel does whatever it wants with them? Does Israel use nukes if they feel like it? What is he really saying? Ron Paul seems to have “adjusted” his message since he has become a serious candidate for US president. He need to clearly state what he talking about. He certainly knows that Israel is an Anglo-American colony that is a tool for the strategic objectives of a global empire. That empire goes back to Cecil Rhodes’ stated goal of creating a secret society that would dominate the world. He openly stated this in the first of his six wills, and put much of it into motion before his death in 1902. One of his key objectives was Anglo-American control of the “Holy Lands” for strategic reasons. Not only did he set his plans into motion but he funded the continuation of them in his last of six wills. J.P. Morgan and Rothschild banking, Wall Street, the Council on Foreign Relations, most multinational corporations, etc. are all the creation of Rhodes vision. Israel is a creation of these institutions and exists to serve their purposes. Does anyone really believe that these global elite powers will just let Israel do what it wants? Of course not, and Ron Paul knows this better than anyone.