Rand Paul moves to ban aid to Palestinians until ICC bid withdrawn

[Eugene]

Source: Haaretz

Rand Paul moves to ban aid to Palestinians until ICC bid withdrawn

By Haaretz | Jan. 7, 2015 | 4:01 PM

United States Senator Rand Paul has introduced a Congressional bill that would cut off assistance to the Palestinian Authority so long as it seeks admission to the International Criminal Court.

The so-called "Defend Israel by Defunding Palestinian Foreign Aid Act of 2015" was the second anti-Palestinian bill introduced by Paul in as many years, according to the National Journal. Last year, he introduced the "Stand with Israel Act," which would have terminated U.S. aid until the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire and recognized the state of Israel.

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Paul's bill would eliminate all U.S. foreign assistance, loan guarantees, and general aid to the Palestine Authority so long as it seeks to join the international court, according to an aide to the senator.

Interviewed by Fox News, Paul argued that it "hardly seems to me a good idea to give American taxpayer money to a country or an entity that is now saying that an ally of ours—that their soldiers need to be investigated for war crimes."

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Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.635818

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Cut all non-humanitarian aid to both Palestine and Israel.

Both countries have fighters who commit war crimes. They both need to be parties to the ICC, so both can be investigated.

(Of course, so do we.)

[djean111]

2. Cut aid to Palestine AND Israel, or don't cut aid to either.

Interesting, the countries who seem to fear the ICC.

[Scootaloo]

3. Oh look who just joined the ranks of Liberal Zionism

[oberliner]

5. Liberal Zionist groups have specifically said the the US should not cut aid to Palestinians

From J Street:

We urge the US Congress not to cut aid as a misguided form of retaliation, and we implore the Israeli authorities to refrain from taking the opportunity to announce new settlement expansion.

[Scootaloo]

6. Then that puts several Libzi DU'ers out of sync

I guess the talking points were in a moment of disarray.

[oberliner]

7. There is a similar diversity of opinion among liberal Democrats on various issues

Liberal Zionists are not a unified monolith spouting talking points. There are areas of agreement and disagreement, just like liberal Democrats.

[Scootaloo]

8. I've compared it to Baptist churches competing for a congregation

Each group of attendants is absolutely certain that their church and their pastor is vastly different (and superior) to those other people's church and pastor. They insist that there are vast arguments, meaningful differences, deep divisions between the two churches!

But an outside observer sees a clump of christians yelling at each other over what font to use in the bake sale brochure.

So, I'm sure there are many and myriad difference of opinions between "Liberal zionists" - and between "liberal zionists" and the rest of the zionist bunch. But to an outside observer, it's just a bunch of the same people arguing over meaningless points of trivia while still believing in exactly the same dogma.

[shira]

9. Well then, it's too bad for u almost all elected Dems are libzi's. n/t

[Scootaloo]

13. Worse for Palestinians and Israelis, really

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

14. Do you agree with Rand Paul, shira? Do you stand with Senator Rand Paul?

[shira]

15. I agree with Senator Schumer.

I also think Israel should stop accepting aid from America. I've stated it repeatedly here.

As to the Pauls, you know that Mondoweiss is a big fan of Ron Paul?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

16. This OP was about Ron Paul, and I asked you if you agreed with him?

Do you agree with Rand Paul, shira? Do you stand with Senator Rand Paul?


Well, yes or no?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

17. Yep. Crickets.

[shira]

19. I'll never side with either of the Pauls. Now do u agree with Mondoweiss.....

....re: their great admiration of Ron Paul?

Yes, No, or another dodge?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

18. You went pretty silent, shira.

Typical.

[oberliner]

4. Rand Paul wants to cut all foreign aid

Israelis, Palestinians, and everyone else.

[azurnoir]

10. He supports aid to Israel -for now anyway from 10/10/2014

He'd like to see an end to all foreign aid eventually, Paul said, reiterating a line he has used often.

"However, I think in the meantime ... I've tried to put restrictions on foreign aid and I've been unsuccessful. And so I've come to the conclusion that maybe we should start by eliminating foreign aid from countries that burn our flag and hate us. And I think that would be a good place to start," he said.

Pressed on whether he would continue to aid Israel in the short term, Paul said, "yes."

"It's an eventual goal, is to eliminate all aid," he continued. "But we have so many -- we have such a resistance in Congress to even attaching any restrictions that my goal since I've been in Congress and the bills I've introduced have been to place restrictions on countries that either hate us, burn our flag or persecute Christians or other religious minorities."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/10/politics/rand-paul-israel/

[oberliner]

11. "It's an eventual goal, is to eliminate all aid"

That seems pretty clear to me.

[azurnoir]

12. yes it is clear he supports aid to Israel at least for the near future

eventual can mean just about anything a year 5 years 10 years -eventually