Thomas Massie Opposes Republican Jewish Coalition’s Pro-War Agenda

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May 19, 2023

The Republican Jewish Coalition recently called on Congress to keep the United States government funding its effort to stave off Russia’s invasion. The RJC is particularly incensed by how several Republican members of the US House and Senate are beginning to mount effective resistance against continued streams of military aid being sent to Ukraine. “Our elected leaders have provided billions of dollars in assistance to bolster Ukraine’s military,” RJC declared in a statement published on May 15, 2023. “We call on Congress to renew that commitment, and we are pleased that key Republican leaders have pledged to do so.”

Sam Markstein, the RJC’s national political director, refused to mention by name the elected officials who the RJC is growing frustrated with. However, many observers generally believe that the group is singling out the likes of Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie and Ohio Senator JD Vance — both who have maintained relatively non-interventionist policy positions. 

“We’re going to make sure that all Republicans understand this is an important issue to us and our board, and we will convey that privately in our meetings and conversations with them,” Markstein said to Jewish Insider on May 15. “We would hope that all Republicans would support this position, and we’ll work hard to make sure that they do,” he continued. “But there’s always an occasional dissenting  opinion or vote.”

“As Jewish Americans, we emphatically believe that it is in America’s national interest to see Russia’s military might diminished and its malign strategic aims thwarted,” the RJC’s board members proclaimed. “We know from painful recent history that a world where aggressors believe they can get away with using force to conquer neighboring nations is a more dangerous one.”

In the RJC’s statement, the board noted  that a Ukrainian defeat would endanger “former Soviet republics” that are now members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) while emboldening China “as it moves ever closer to military action against Taiwan.” 

The statement added, “preventing a Russian victory will further American strategic aims in the Middle East by frustrating the designs of Russia’s regional ally, the terrorist regime in Iran.” 

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie was not having any of the RJC’s pro-Ukraine warmongering. In a Twitter post he published on May 15, Massie said “Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) takes neocon position that US taxpayers should fund the war in Ukraine. I do not think you should pay for this war in Europe.”

 

As BLP has previously reported, Massie has been one of the most principled opponents of interventionists in the US House. On the Russo-Ukrainian war, he has not flinched for a second. He has routinely opposed increased aid — economic or military —  to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. For that reason, among many others, Massie has the strongest America First foreign policy credentials among members of Congress. 

Any America Firster worth their salt should support all of Massie’s efforts to restore foreign policy sanity in the US.

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