Ouch: Former Ron Paul Staffer says Congressman 'Anti-Israel'

Former Senior Ron Paul Aide, Campaign Coordinator, National Organizer, and Travel Aide Eric Dondero has made some scathing charges against his former boss. It will be interesting to see if Team Paul decides to ignore him or attempt to discredit him. While Dondero insists Paul is neither racist or anti-Semitic, he forthrightly makes the charge that Paul is anti-Israel:

Via Right Wing News:

Is Ron Paul an Anti-Semite? Absolutely No. As a Jew, (half on my mother’s side), I can categorically say that I never heard anything out of his mouth, in hundreds of speeches I listened too over the years, or in my personal presence that could be called, “Anti-Semite.” No slurs. No derogatory remarks.

He is however, most certainly Anti-Israel, and Anti-Israeli in general. He wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all. He expressed this to me numerous times in our private conversations. His view is that Israel is more trouble than it is worth, specifically to the America taxpayer. He sides with the Palestinians, and supports their calls for the abolishment of the Jewish state, and the return of Israel, all of it, to the Arabs.

This definitely squares with Paul's foreign policy stance relative to leaving the region - including Israel - to fend for itself. It also seems to go in line with Paul's endorsement of Cynthia McKinney, a Palestinian supporter and activist, in 2008.

Dondero continues...

There was another incident when Ron finally agreed to a meeting with Houston Jewish Young Republicans at the Freeport office. He berated them, and even shouted at one point, over their un-flinching support for Israel. So, much so, that the 6 of them walked out of the office. I was left chasing them down the hallway apologizing for my boss.

There are other aspects of Paul's views on homosexuality and race that Dondero attempts to clarify but besides Paul's anti-Zionist sentiment, his position on going into Afghanistan after 9/11 is sure to raise some eyebrows.

Ron Paul was opposed to the War in Afghanistan, and to any military reaction to the attacks of 9/11. 

He did not want to vote for the resolution. He immediately stated to us staffers, me in particular, that Bush/Cheney were going to use the attacks as a precursor for “invading” Iraq. He engaged in conspiracy theories including perhaps the attacks were coordinated with the CIA, and that the Bush administration might have known about the attacks ahead of time. He expressed no sympathies whatsoever for those who died on 9/11, and pretty much forbade us staffers from engaging in any sort of memorial expressions, or openly asserting pro-military statements in support of the Bush administration. 

On the eve of the vote, Ron Paul was still telling us staffers that he was planning to vote “No,” on the resolution, and to be prepared for a seriously negative reaction in the District. Jackie Gloor and I, along with quiet nods of agreement from the other staffers in the District, declared our intentions to Tom Lizardo, our Chief of Staff, and to each other, that if Ron voted No, we would immediately resign.

So, if Dondero is to be believed, Ron Paul is Truther and an anti-Zionist who is not necessarily anti-Semitic. Uh, yeah, that's about what I suspected.

h/t Daily Caller