Sen. Rand Paul Praised for His Call To Block Arms to Egypt

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has praised Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) call for stopping the sale of arms to the new, extremist, anti-Semitic, Israel-hating Islamist Egyptian regime of Mohamed Morsi. Last week, the Obama Administration sent four new, state-of-the art F-16 warplanes to Cairo, which are part of a package of military aid to Egypt encompassing 16 F-16s jets and 200 M1A1 Abrams tanks that was concluded in 2010 with the previous Hosni Mubarak regime. Senator Paul proposed an amendment to the bill extending the debt limit until May involving a halt to the arms sales which was voted down in the Senate today. Sources have informed the ZOA that AIPAC did not lobby to support Senator Paul’s amendment. If this is not true, the ZOA urges AIPAC to publicly state its position and actions on this issue.

Prior to the vote, Paul said, “I think it particularly unwise to send tanks and our most sophisticated fighter planes to Egypt at a time when many are saying the country may be unraveling … I think this is particularly unwise since Egypt is currently governed by a religious zealot, a religious zealot who said recently that ‘Jews were bloodsuckers and descendants of apes and pigs’ … This doesn’t sound like the kind of stable personality we would be sending our most sophisticated weapons to.” Paul also expressed concern “that these weapons threaten Israel’s security” and promote a regional arms race. (W. James Antle III, ‘ Rand Paul: No fighter jets, tanks for Egypt,’ Daily Caller, January 31, 2013).

Paul also said last week of proposed arms, “I think it’s a huge mistake. You know, the original deal was made with another leader [Hosni Mubarak] who was deposed by a somewhat semi-violent revolution. And so I don’t think it’s a good idea … President Morsi’s had words interpreting calling those who are in favor of Israel, calling them bloodsuckers and apes and descendants of pigs. I’d be a little bit concerned about arming a person who had that kind of language … And would I say to [the Egyptian government] Maybe you should protect our embassy. Maybe you shouldn’t let hordes of people jump on top of our embassy and burn our flat and chant death to America. And I wouldn’t give them money. I would condition money and anything we give to them on good behavior. And I don’t think we’ve been getting good behavior from Egypt … you don’t always have to buy friends and you don’t always have to arm friends. And so I’m concerned and I think they need to prove that they want to live in the civilized world. Within the last year, Morsi was seen at a prayer meeting with a radical sheikh who was saying death to Israel and death to Israel’s supporters. Also within the last year, Egypt arrested 16 Americans, held them in the country, threatened not to let them leave the country. And when I rattled the cages and said, We may talk about ending your aid, and when other senators traveled there with that message, all of a sudden, the Americans were released. There are still Egyptians held for political trials in Egypt, and I think it’s a big mistake. They need to show they want to be part of the civilized world, and I would make all aid contingent on that” (‘Sen. Rand Paul: Sending F-16s to Egypt could potentially elevate an arms race,’ Fox News, January 24, 2013).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We praise Senator Rand Paul’s efforts to halt the sales of U.S. arms to the Morsi regime in Egypt, a position we have been advocating ourselves.

“As we have argued, common sense and prudence dictate that the U.S. withhold all aid to Egypt until and unless Morsi gives a written commitment to observe the peace treaty with Israel; repudiate the Muslim Brotherhood platform and statements opposing peace, human rights and the Egyptian/U.S. alliance; and rescinds his pledge to work for freeing Islamist Sheikh Omar-Abdel Rahman, jailed by the U.S. for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people.”

{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}