Rand Paul Hones Pro-Israel Pitch, But Finds Jewish Leaders Wary
Isolationist Message and Unpopular Father Limit Appeal
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Published May 13, 2014.
(JTA) Can Rand Paul woo his partys Jews?
The Kentucky senator and likely candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is stepping up his Jewish outreach. In recent weeks, Paul chatted with rabbis on a conference call and proposed legislation to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority unless it recognizes Israel as a Jewish state.
Making inroads with Jewish Republicans is an uphill battle for Paul, an ardent anti-interventionist and opponent of foreign aid. A few years ago, Jewish Republicans were sounding alarms over Pauls foreign policy views, which they saw as inimical to the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Now, however, some are sounding a more conciliatory note.
The Republican Jewish Coalitions executive director, Matthew Brooks, told JTA that Paul has evolved.
He started off wanting to cut all foreign aid. Now he sees it as a long-term strategy. He wants to start scaling back to countries burning flags in their streets, said Brooks, referencing Pauls calls to cut aid to countries that are hostile to the United States.
Its a major shift from 2010 when Paul was running for Senate. At the time Brooks had called Paul a neo-isolationist who was outside the comfort level of a lot of people in the Jewish community.
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Rand Paul Hones Pro-Israel Pitch, But Finds Jewish Leaders Wary