Top Tier GOP Hopefuls On Standing With Israel

[Bradley in DC]

http://www.onthewriteside.org/2007/10/gop-hopefuls-making-their-stance-to.html

Top Tier GOP Hopefuls On Standing With Israel

Top tier GOP presidential hopefuls have went on record as taking a tough stance when it comes to protection and support for Israel.

Rudy Giuliani told the Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday that he once had the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat thrown out of a concert for U.N. diplomats at the Lincoln Center. In Jerusalem in 2001, he said "The people of Jerusalem and the people of New York City are shoulder-to-shoulder; and the people of America and the people of Israel are shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism." Giuliani, as mayor of New York City, also returned a $10 million donation from a Saudi prince after 9/11 due to the comments he made on Israel and the Palestinians.

Romney told the Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday that as Governor of Massachusetts he once refused to provide a security escort for former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami's trip from the airport to a Harvard University address. In an official statement in 2006 he said "State taxpayers should not be providing special treatment to an individual who supports violent jihad and the destruction of Israel."

Mike Huckabee has an entire section devoted to Israel on his official website and has the following to say. "The United States must remain true to its long-standing, bipartisan commitment to the Israelis. I will always ensure that Israel has access to the state-of-the-art weapons and technology she needs to defend herself from those who seek her annihilation".

Fred Thompson as a senator was one of the sponsors of the Jerusalem Embassy Act demanding that the US government move its embassy to the Israeli capital in defiance of Palestinian claims to the city. He had the following to say to National Review Online. "Let me ask you a hypothetical question. What do you think America would do if Canadian soldiers were firing dozens of missiles every day into Buffalo, N.Y.? What do you think our response would be if Mexican troops for two years had launched daily rocket attacks on San Diego — and bragged about it?"

Sen. John McCain called Israel a “great democracy” and proclaimed that the United States “will defeat terrorism against America, and we will stand with Israel as she fights the same enemy,” in his address at Yeshiva University’s 82nd Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation on Dec. 10, 2006 at The Waldorf-Astoria.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that "Israel's Zionist regime should be wiped off the map. All candidates attending the Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday said they would be prepared as president to use military force against Iran to stop it from getting nuclear weapons.

Let's hope for the sake of Israel and America, that these candidates stick to their guns if elected.

[Wilkero]

It's simply amazing that there is not more open debate about how and why we support Israel.

[noxagol]

It's simply amazing that there is not more open debate about how and why we support Israel.

STOP BEING ANTI-SEMITIC!

[saku39]

STOP BEING ANTI-SEMITIC!

I love that battlecry almost as much as "they hate us for our freedoms."

[Wilkero]

STOP BEING ANTI-SEMITIC!


I'm hoping that you're joking. I'm not anti-Semitic nor was my statement. I was making a point about the lack of debate regarding our foreign policy with regard to Israel. Israel is a country and saying that we should be able to discuss and debate our national foreign policy regarding that country (or any other country) it is not anti-Semitic.

[saku39]

Hmm. . . I notice they didn't mention Dr Paul in that article. They should. His policy will ensure a lot less blowback.

[noxagol]

I'm hoping that you're joking. I'm not anti-Semitic nor was my statement. I was making a point about the lack of debate regarding our foreign policy with regard to Israel. Israel is a country and saying that we should be able to discuss and debate our national foreign policy regarding that country (or any other country) it is not anti-Semitic.

Yes, I was joking. I was showing you why no one really questions it. Some people would take your comment to be anti-semitic, even though it clearly is not.

[terlinguatx]

...

[johngr]

I'm hoping that you're joking. I'm not anti-Semitic nor was my statement. I was making a point about the lack of debate regarding our foreign policy with regard to Israel. Israel is a country and saying that we should be able to discuss and debate our national foreign policy regarding that country (or any other country) it is not anti-Semitic.

Get off the defensive. It's obvious he wasn't serious. That is the key to putting that slur in the linguistic dustbin. Start using it everywhere you can. Rob it of its power. Call yourself anti-semitic when it's clear that you're not.

We talk of racism, prejudice or bigotry against blacks. They don't get their own special word. The root identifies, in Orwellian fashion, a people who are the chief victims of Israeli-Ashkenazi "Semites" and I would love to see it fall into disuse. Of course, I'm anti-Semitic for bringing that up.

[Ozwest]

Unfortunately, I can see where this is headed...

[johngr]

Unfortunately, I can see where this is headed...

Is "where this is headed" unfortunate or the fact that you can see it? Do you disagree that "anti-Semitic" is used as a bludgeon against anyone who questions the power of AIPAC or criticizes Israel? Are you not tired of it?

[MicroBalrog]

Obviousoly, the only reason America supports Israel is due to the power of an international cabal of Jews, Masons, and Neo-Cons. Anybody who thinks America should support any foreign country is a neo-conservative shill.

On the other hand:

Does anybody remember that America is giving the Iraqi Army more money then it gives to Israel?

[freelance]

MicroBalrog:

Iraq has oil that is destined to be refined in Israel (Haifa, I think, but I can't remember exactly where). Does that help to explain the $$$ going into Iraq?

[MicroBalrog]

MicroBalrog:

Iraq has oil that is destined to be refined in Israel (Haifa, I think, but I can't remember exactly where). Does that help to explain the $$$ going into Iraq?

Israel has two oil refineries. Haifa and Ashdod.

I was merely just raising a general point: about how aid to Israel is a fraction of total foreign aid.

[james1906]

I'm reporting this thread to the ADL.

/sarcasm

[inibo]

...aid to Israel is a fraction of total foreign aid.

A very large fraction.

Assuming the numbers here (http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/politics/us-foreign-aid.htm) are right, Israel is the largest recipient of foreign aid.

[Ozwest]

Is "where this is headed" unfortunate or the fact that you can see it? Do you disagree that "anti-Semitic" is used as a bludgeon against anyone who questions the power of AIPAC or criticizes Israel? Are you not tired of it?

I agree the term anti-semetic is often used to curb debate. It frustrates me, because it stifles discussion.

[johngr]

I agree the term anti-semetic is often used to curb debate. It frustrates me, because it stifles discussion.

I think it's because you're anti-schematic.

[fj45lvr]

Is "where this is headed" unfortunate or the fact that you can see it? Do you disagree that "anti-Semitic" is used as a bludgeon against anyone who questions the power of AIPAC or criticizes Israel? Are you not tired of it?

The truth is that there can be more criticism of Israeli policy in Israel than in the United States....ain't that rather perverse and twisted.

It reminds me of a minority employee I worked with that when I was critical of his performance he argued that I was racist.....total disconnect from reality and this is the sickening position that these criminals hide under while they continue their ethnic cleansing.

[MicroBalrog]

A very large fraction.

Assuming the numbers here (http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/politics/us-foreign-aid.htm) are right, Israel is the largest recipient of foreign aid.

United States provides funding to the Iraqi Army, to a sum of 2.46 billion every year. This is 300 million more then the total amount of US aid to Israel as of 2006.

Here is the Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Army).

Further, AFAIK, a very large amount of US foreign aid exists outside the FMF/ESF contrinuum.

Israel does not need the aid. The only people it benefits are government bureaucrats; It encourages the monstrosity that is the MoD of Israel to spend and waste ISraeli taxpayer's money in huge amounts.

$4 per every $1 contributed by the US is wasted on RUBBISH.

ONLY THREE GROUPS OF PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM THIS:

1. Israeli bureaucrats who do not need to go into serious improvement programs, since hey, any shortcomings will be overcome by free money from Uncle Sam. THe voters don't KNOW that the Army throws FOUR TIMES that money away in idiotic waste, because the majority of the defense Budget is NOT MADE PUBLIC.

I personally spoke to a Knesset member who complained to me THEY are
not allowed to see the budget.

The MoD's OWN estimate is that at least 10 billion dollars per year are WASTED by the military on 'administrative expenditures'. THEN the IDF goes 2.5 billion dollars OVER the budget given by the legislature. THEN there is the budget of thE MoD itself (APART from the IDF budget), which is 1.25 BILLION more dollars.


2. The second group of people who benefit from this are US politcians and "Jewish Lobby" groups woh raise a f*ckload of money by pretending they're helping Jews while they're really just peddling another subsidy. This is just like the groups who whine for welfare and accuse those who oppose them of "racism."

3. The third and most important group of people involved is American corporations..

Think of it. Not only does most US military funding come with the string attached that it must go back into the US to buy US weaponry, but it also allows the US to pressure countries to buy US products with their own defense money. To wit, not only does the US supply Israel with 2.25 billion dollars worth of weapons paid for by the US taxpayer, but also gets the Israelis to spend their own money on MORE US weapons.

Finally, because only US-located and US-owned plants qualify for FSF, Israel's OWN industries is now forced to make their product in US plants partly owned by US corporations.

THESE are the big beneficiaries of the "foreign aid" programs, NOT foreign nations of any kind.

[lucius]

USS Liberty: Dead in the Water (2002): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6595846710992512471&q=dead+in+the+water&total=3409&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Perfect for 501c3 Christians et al...

[JosephTheLibertarian]

It's about time Israel started taking care of itself. AIPAC can go to hell, we should kick them out of the country :p send them packing to Israel

[voortrekker]

In my mind, I support the people of Israel.

I support the people of all nations and wish the best for them.

I, however, do not support the govt of Isreal.

There is a marked difference in stating disagreement with "Israel" when one actually means the govt of Israel.

We need to get this straight me thinks.