The U.S. senator met with a group of Jewish donors to the Republican Party before introducing his bill, according to the National Journal.
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| U.S. Senator Rand Paul speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC. June 13, 2013 Photo by AFP |
The
so-called "Defend Israel by Defunding Palestinian Foreign Aid Act of
2015" was the second anti-Palestinian bill introduced by Paul in as many
years, according to the National Journal. Last year, he introduced the
"Stand with Israel Act," which would have terminated U.S. aid until
the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire and recognized the state of Israel.
The PA
submitted the necessary documentation to become a member of the world's
permanent war crimes tribunal last week. United Nations Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon said on Tuesday its the member ship would become official on April 1.
As a member
of the court, the PA will be able to pursue war crimes charges against Israel.
Hours before
introducing the bill, Rand met with a group leading Jewish donors to the
Republican Party, including casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, the Journal reported.
Paul's bill
would eliminate all U.S. foreign assistance, loan guarantees, and general aid
to the Palestine Authority so long as it seeks to join the international court,
according to an aide to the senator.
Interviewed
by Fox News, Paul argued that it "hardly seems to me a good idea to give
American taxpayer money to a country or an entity that is now saying that an
ally of ours—that their soldiers need to be investigated for war crimes."
The junior
Republican senator from Kentucky is openly exploring a run for the White House
in 2016. Observers see his bill as being part of a bid to win the support of
Republican pro-Israel hawks, who tend to regard the libertarian Paul with
skepticism, if not outright hostility.
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