Pete Buttigieg Suggests Quid Pro Quo with Israeli Military Aid to Promote Palestinian Interests

  |  
Dec 1, 2019
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Nam Y Huh/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10067708c) Mayor Pete Buttigieg talks with an AP reporter at Farmers Market in South Bend, Ind., . Few people know Buttigieg’s name outside the Indiana town where he’s mayor, but none of that has deterred him from contemplating a 2020 Democratic presidential bid. He’s among the potential candidates who believe 2016 and 2018 showed voters are looking for fresh faces US Election 2020 Fresh Faces, South Bend, USA – 10 Jan 2019

South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg made a remark last month that received little attention from the mainstream media when he suggested that foreign military aid to Israel should be used as a bargaining chip to impact public policy in the pro-Jewish state.

The openly gay Democratic presidential contender told an audience at the University of Chicago that he would hold foreign aid over the heads of the Israelis in order to coerce them into refusing to annex settlements on the West Bank.

“I think that the aid is leverage to guide Israel in the right direction,” Buttigieg said. “If, for example, there is follow-through on these threats of annexation, I’m committed to ensuring that the US is not footing the bill for that.”

“It is in the American interest, as well as the Palestinian and ultimately the Israeli Jewish interest, that Israel not reach the point where there will have to be a choice between either being a Jewish state or a democracy,” he added, “and there is a trajectory toward that going on right now.”

Buttigieg also suggested that aid to Israel could be reduced as well while making his pro-Palestinian statement.

“I’m not going to commit now to all of the ways that that leverage can and should be used, but I will say that our policy goal will be to do what we do when a friend is moving in a way that you’re worried about, which is to put your arm around them and guide them somewhere better,” he said.

According to the logic of the Democratic Party in the age of Trump, Buttigieg is suggesting for an illicit quid pro quo to be used against Israel. By their standards, he is advocating for an impeachable and illegal offense within his hypothetical administration.

Of course, consistency is not exactly a strong suit of the Democrats. They completely ignore that former Vice President Joe Biden admitted abusing his power to stop a corruption probe in the Ukraine involving his son, Hunter.

While the Democrats remain gung ho regarding their ongoing impeachment inquiry against the President, it may completely backfire against them as Republicans get ready to question witnesses of their own:

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) issued a letter to House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Thursday demanding that the minority party be allowed to call witnesses to testify during the impeachment proceedings.

Nunes cited House Rule XI, Clause 1(a)(1)(A) and House Rule XI, Clause 2(j)(1) in order to make the case that it is germane for Republicans to bring forth witnesses for questioning at an upcoming hearing.

“As the Committee continues to conduct the Democrats’ partisan and one-sided “impeachment inquiry,” there are still important perspectives and serious issues that you have prevented the Committee from examining,” Nunes explained in the letter.

“We will inform you of the witnesses we intend to call once you have provided a hearing date and time to which we agree. Your failure to schedule this hearing shall constitute evidence of your denial of fundamental fairness and due process,” he added.

Buttigieg’s rhetoric shows that the Democrats cannot even keep their own story straight about what is permissible from the President. It is not looking good for them in next year’s election.