'Ignorant' Republicans can't see Ukraine faces same threats as Israel: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Republicans have rushed to pledge their support for Israel in the wake of horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas that are threatening to send the region spiraling into its first full-scale war in decades — but some are taking the opportunity to demand aid to Ukraine be cut off, with Israel prioritized for defense.

That's a wrongheaded way of seeing world security, argued former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) on MSNBC Tuesday, because the horrors faced by Israel and Ukraine are more alike than different.

"The other issue is that the amount of money we're sending to Ukraine is ... $100 million here, $100 million there. It's smaller chunks of money," said anchor Joy Reid. "We've already been funding Israel at $3 billion, anyway, a year. They're not like in that sense, but what do you make of the fact that people like Marjorie Greene and Josh Hawley are trying to pincer their way through, saying foreign funding yes, foreign funding no?"

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"First, I think it affirms that Republicans are not fit to be a governing party. They're more fit to be an opposition party," said Jolly. "In a time of great global insecurity we're learning that, with the House without a speaker, a nation without ambassadors, and military deployments with leaders unfulfilled. As a baseline, we know, and there's agreement in the U.S., that Israel is a victim of terror, not just the Israelis but the loss of life in America. So the position of the U.S. and Joe Biden is a right one. Call this evil and say we will stand with Israel."

He continued:

"That being said, my experience in Congress has told me that many Republicans today are allies of Israel out of simply a political pledge, not out of actual knowledge," Jolly continued. "They couldn't distinguish between Gaza and the West Bank. They couldn't tell you about the complexities of the Middle East. They just know in Republican politics you prove your worth, not by knowledge about the Middle East, but about intensity of your pledge to be an ally of Israel, and it's the right position even if it's for perhaps ignorant or the wrong reasons."

"The similarities between the U.S. aligning with the people of Israel and protecting Ukraine from the encroachment and the evil of Vladimir Putin are right in front of Republicans' faces, but they're simply too ignorant to see it," added Jolly. "They're motivated by owning the libs and therefore, no aid to Ukraine, but yes aid to Israel."

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