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Jewish Democrats: Honoring Rep. Ron Paul at GOP convention is 'disturbing'
Jewish Democrats are capitalizing on a planned tribute to Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) at next week's GOP convention to turn the tables on Republicans and accuse them of being anti-Israel.
Throughout the campaign, GOP candidate Mitt Romney and Republicans have sought to portray President Obama as a weak friend of Israel and an appeaser of Iran. Paul however has repeatedly tried to end U.S. aid to Israel and once published newsletters under his name that contained anti-Semitic rhetoric, even though he says he was not directly involved in their creation.
“Throughout the campaign, every alarm bell possible has sounded signaling that Paul is a legitimate factor within the GOP -- whether it was his 'strategic partnership' with Mitt Romney, his delegates winning multiple state party conventions, his former spokesman receiving a senior position at the RNC, or the legions of followers who turned out [to] cheer him on during debates. As these alarms were sounding, Jewish Republicans and other pro-Israel Republicans utterly failed to counter Paul's influence. Now they will be sitting respectfully -- or perhaps even applauding -- while their Party honors one of the greatest opponents of the U.S.-Israel relationship on Capitol Hill.”
The convention is expected to play a short film in tribute to Paul on Tuesday, the Romney campaign said Friday, according to TPM. And Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who shares many of his father's libertarian and isolationist beliefs, is scheduled to speak at the convention on Monday.
"Paying tribute to this man who disparaged the U.S.-Israel relationship on Iranian television and empathized with Iran's nuclear weapons program -- on top of the history of his hate-filled newsletters -- is a national disgrace," said Harris. "Romney and the RNC should cancel the tribute and end this dangerous strategic partnership once and for all."
