If financial aid to Israel were slowly decreased over time, it would increase the Jewish state’s sovereignty because they wouldn’t need to get permission from the U.S. every time they need to defend themselves against aggressive neighbors, Sen. Rand Paul said on Monday.
Paul said that while he knows the idea of decreasing any kind of foreign aid is a “minority opinion” in Washington, it will be a lot harder for America to help others “if we are out of money,” reported
Fox News.
During a press briefing while stopping at the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies, Paul said that while he knows it’s unlikely anything will change during his lifetime, it’s still worth discussing.
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"I don't think you need to call me on the phone to ask permission for what you want to do to stop missiles from raining down on you from Gaza," he said.
The Kentucky senator said that first, aid would have to be pulled from questionably friendly countries such as Egypt and Pakistan before considering how and when to start cutting the flow of money to Israel.
Most of the money, he pointed out, is spent on weapons anyway, which raises an additional concern for him.
"I'm concerned that some of the weaponry that we are currently giving to Egypt may one day be used against Israel," he said.
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