Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, a fierce opponent of US foreign aid
who is being touted already as a likely 2016 presidential candidate said
in Jerusalem on Monday that
America is and always will be a friend of Israel, but thinks "it will be
harder and harder to be a friend if we are out of money."
Paul, speaking to the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies, said that it's one thing if you're giving foreign aid out of your
savings, but its something completely different if you're "borrowing from one
country to give to the other. You have to wonder how wide that is, and what the repercussions will be."
Paul, who acknowledged that there will probably not see
an end to foreign aid in his lifetime, said that he was "all for gradualism,"
and would start ending foreign aid to those countries who don't act as allies
towards Israel.