Help Rand Paul block Israhell

[yankeedoodle]

Help Senator Paul block the $38 billion to Israel!

In a historic development, U.S. Senator Rand Paul is opposing the Israel lobby and attempting to stop aid to Israel.

Senator Paul has placed a "hold" on a bill that would give Israel a total of $38 billion over the next 10 years (the largest such aid package in U.S. history).   

Go to this link to learn how to take action in support of Rand Paul.   https://iak.salsalabs.org/support-rand-pauls-block-on-the-38billion/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=478e0398-d977-4b98-8a48-0edf25445f03

[yankeedoodle]

jews and zio-christian-tards are out to get Rand Paul.

Pro-Israel Groups Expose Rand Paul as Blocking U.S. Aid to Israel
Paul, opponent of foreign aid, has history of fractious relations with pro-Israel groups
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/pro-israel-groups-expose-rand-paul-blocking-u-s-aid-israel/

Top pro-Israel groups in America are mobilizing against Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) for blocking the continuation of U.S. aid to Israel, the renewal of which comes at a critical time for the Jewish state as it continues to combat ongoing terror attacks from Hamas loyalists along its border.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the nation's foremost pro-Israel lobby group, has been purchasing advertisements on Facebook outing Paul as the primary Senate force blocking the reauthorization of the U.S.-Israel security pact, according to sources close to the effort.

Other prominent pro-Israel organizations, such as Christians United for Israel, or CUFI, also have undertaken efforts to expose Paul's hold on U.S. security assistance to Israel, recently organizing an email blitz aimed at pressuring the isolationist senator to remove his hold on the critical funding bill.

CUFI is said to have invested heavily in ads based in Kentucky to target the senator's constituents directly on the issue.

Paul, a proponent of ending U.S. aid across the globe, has had multiple confrontations with the pro-Israel community over the years as result of his views. Paul has sought to hold up U.S. aid to Israel multiple times over the years, creating friction between him and top U.S. pro-Israel lobbying shops.

"Sen. Rand Paul is blocking the U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act, S.2497," CUFI wrote in a Monday morning email "action alert" to its millions of supporters across the country, including Paul's home state of Kentucky. "This bill is the cornerstone of U.S. support for Israel. It ensures Israel has what it needs to fight terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah, and keeps at bay tyrants like the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"Sen. Paul is blocking this important legislation," CUFI wrote. "The bill, which already passed the Senate once, and then the House of Representatives, is expected to be enthusiastically signed by Pres. Donald Trump. Our last obstacle to getting this bill signed into law is Sen. Paul's hold in the Senate."

Paul's efforts to block the continuation of U.S. aid to Israel also has drawn the attention of AIPAC, the nation's most formidable pro-Israel organization.

The group has already been running advertisements of Facebook outing Paul as the source of the hold and urging its supporters to contact the senator to express opposition to his effort.



One official at a pro-Israel organization who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon said that Paul's hold is not surprising, but remains "inexplicable" at a time when Israel is facing one of the worst terrorist barrages in recent memory, as well as growing threats from Iran and its terror-proxy Hezbollah.

"Given the overwhelming bipartisan support that has been shown for this legislation, this resistance is inexplicable," the official said. "This is hardly the time to hold back support for our ally in view of the immediate terrorist threats it faces from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran."

Pro-Israel congressional allies on Capitol Hill also are expressing frustration with Paul. Senate rules maintain that only one senator is necessary to perform a hold on legislation such as the U.S.-Israel security assistance package.

"Rand Paul is against sanctions on Iran and Russia, but he wants to block assistance to Israel and Saudi Arabia," said one senior GOP congressional official who spoke to the Free Beacon. "When Republicans hear that, they don't hear the sound of a principled conservative who avoids foreign affairs. That just sounds like a guy who's on the wrong side."

Paul has been at the center of GOP congressional frustrations in recent months, pushing a measure to suspend U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its military coalition partner Bahrain as they battle pro-Iran militants in Yemen. That effort was opposed by the Trump administration and congressional allies who argued that Iran's malign activities must be stymied.

While Paul has placed a hold on the U.S.-Israel security assistance package in the past, there have been times when he has agreed to let it pass without issue, fueling speculation about why he has chosen this moment to again oppose the funding measure.

CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker told the Free Beacon that Paul is blocking the will of the vast majority of Americans, including those in Kentucky, who support the U.S.-Israel alliance.

"Sen. Paul needs to remove his hold from this bill without delay," Parker said. "The ill-advised foreign policy views of one senator should not be allowed to hold hostage such vital and noncontroversial legislation."

Sen. Paul's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

[yankeedoodle]

Turns out that Rand is also blocking the anti-BDS bill that would make it illegal to boycott Israhell.  GO, RAND, GO!

Reports that Paul was trying to block the anti-"boycott" legislation even drew chiding from Mark Kirk, the former Republican senator from Illinois who was the original author of the measure.

"I encourage the senator to speak with Governor Bevin and Kentucky voters if he doesn't understand the anti-Semitism behind the BDS movement," Kirk said in a statement.

Rand Paul under fire for blocking Israel bills
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/30/rand-paul-israel-military-aid-congress-senate-1036943

Sen. Rand Paul is infuriating Republicans and Democrats alike by blocking a pair of Israel-related bills, including one authorizing tens of billions of dollars in military aid for the country.

Some advocacy groups are so mad at Paul they're running ads against the Kentucky Republican, who insists that his long-term goal is actually to help Israel.

The dust-up is the latest example of how Paul is willing to throw a wrench into routine legislation to uphold his libertarian instincts, which make him skeptical of foreign aid. It also could hurt his already-testy ties to President Donald Trump, who sees the U.S.-Israel relationship as near-sacrosanct.

The main bill Paul is blocking puts into law an agreement reached under former President Barack Obama that gives Israel $38 billion in military assistance over 10 years. The measure has broad bipartisan support in Congress. Various versions of the bill have easily passed the Senate and the House in recent months, but the Senate still needs to pass a final version.

Using his Senate privileges, Paul placed a hold on the bill on Oct. 11, surprising other lawmakers, according to Hill staffers.

"At a time when Israel faces unprecedented threats, blocking a bipartisan bill that empowers the U.S. to stand with Israel is inexplicable," said Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican lead on the measure. The Democratic lead on the bill, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, added that Paul's "stated reasons for opposing the bill neither make sense nor support America's strategic interests."

Rubio's office repeatedly reached out to Paul's office over the next several weeks, asking for an explanation of Paul's objections in hopes of finding a resolution, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Paul's office offered little by way of answers, they said. (A Paul spokesman denied that, saying "our office has always been responsive.")

On Monday, Paul's office told Rubio's office that Paul would lift the hold if lawmakers could find ways to offset at least $3 billion in the funding, including by possibly rescinding some money for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Paul's critics say his request is confounding because the bill in question merely authorizes spending. It doesn't technically appropriate funds.

In various statements to the press, Paul has said he supports Israel, but that in the long run the country should become self-sufficient. He adds that he'd prefer to fund Israel by cutting assistance to less-deserving countries and entities, such as the Palestinian Authority and Pakistan.

The senator plans to introduce a measure next week that adjusts foreign aid funding to his preference.

"If we are going to send aid to Israel it should be limited in time and scope so we aren't doing it forever, and it should be paid for by cutting the aid to people who hate Israel and America," Paul said in a statement to POLITICO.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Pro-Israel advocates, meanwhile, are not sold on Paul's argument.

Some worry that completely defunding the Palestinian Authority — including its security services — could further de-stabilize an already tense situation on the ground. There's also a fear that if the U.S. cuts funds to other countries, that could breed more international resentment against Israel.

The Trump administration already has taken separate moves to halt significant amounts of financial aid to Pakistan and the Palestinians, but Paul appears to want the aid stoppage to be formally put into law.

Just this week, Paul placed a hold on a bill that is designed to counter the "boycott, divestment and sanctions" movement, congressional staffers confirmed. That movement urges companies and countries to penalize Israel through boycotts and other means over its treatment of the Palestinians. Rubio is also a lead sponsor of that legislation, which has plenty of bipartisan backing.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed an executive order in mid-November that bars state agencies from contracting with companies that boycott Israel.

The federal bill has a number of elements, including essentially condoning state and local government laws that penalize people and companies who back isolating Israel over the Palestinian issue.

Paul's office said he has concerns that the anti-"boycott" bill could infringe on Americans' First Amendment rights — a concern other opponents of such measures share. In any case, his hold has further upset pro-Israel groups already steamed about his efforts to stop the aid package.

One such organization, Christians United for Israel, has spent $100,000 on a digital and cable news ad buy across Kentucky to pressure Paul to allow the military aid bill's passage. That's on top of its purchase of print advertisements in major Kentucky newspapers.

"As rockets rain down on our ally Israel, will Rand Paul stand with Israel, or will he stand in the way?" one version of the digital ad asks.

CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker said her organization was "deeply troubled" by Paul's actions on both Israel bills.

"Sen. Paul's actions are contrary to the values of the voters he is supposed to be representing in Washington," Parker said in a statement.

Reports that Paul was trying to block the anti-"boycott" legislation even drew chiding from Mark Kirk, the former Republican senator from Illinois who was the original author of the measure.

"I encourage the senator to speak with Governor Bevin and Kentucky voters if he doesn't understand the anti-Semitism behind the BDS movement," Kirk said in a statement.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee also has taken out digital ads and is urging its supporters to contact Paul's office to demand he lift his hold on the military aid bill.

"Given the growing threats to Israel's security from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, it is absolutely critical that Congress complete bipartisan legislation that will provide essential security assistance to America's closest ally in the region," AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittmann said in a statement.