Vivek Ramaswamy Says Israel Aid Obsession Reflects ‘Anti-Semitic Instincts’

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate now running for governor of Ohio, warned a Turning Point USA audience against what he described as “anti-semitic instincts” driving an obsessive focus on U.S. aid to Israel, after being asked whether he would support lobbying Congress to end the annual $3.8 billion aid package to Israel during a Tuesday night event at Ohio State University.

In response, Ramaswamy said he wanted to separate what he described as two different issues: his longstanding support for eventually phasing out the aid package, which he argued would benefit both the United States and Israel, and what he called a deeper and more troubling fixation on Israel itself.

“When I ran for president, I was the only Republican on that stage who actually said that in the long run, I think it was in the best interest of the United States and for what it’s worth, in the best interest of Israel, to say that $3.8 billion a year, it should be sunset,” he said. 

Ramaswamy said he faced criticism for that position during the Republican presidential primary, but argued that the current debate around Israel aid often goes beyond a normal policy disagreement.

“I do think it is strange as the person who stood alone on the Republican debate stage and took criticism from people on both sides of me,” he said. “It is beyond bizarre to me the fixation on that $3.8 billion of the federal budget.”

He contrasted the annual Israel aid package with what he described as far larger areas of federal waste, corruption and foreign aid spending elsewhere around the world. “When you look at the extent of far more inexcusable waste, fraud, abuse in a lot of different directions, foreign aid to hundreds of other countries that we also should not be supporting, which raises a deeper question of what the heck is going on with this particular line item in that obsession,” he said.

Ramaswamy then directly addressed what he said was underlying some of the negative rhetoric surrounding Israel aid debates.

“I think it underlies this mentality that somehow it is a mindset that one country in the world and U.S. relationship with it or particularly even let’s just talk about it Jewish Americans are somehow responsible for the struggles of Americans here,” he said. “And I think that view is also ridiculous.”

While reiterating that he still supports eventually ending the aid package, he warned against singling out Israel in a way he said reflects something deeper than fiscal conservatism.

“The focus that smacks of some anti-semitic instincts, laser focusing on this without focusing on other problems, is weird, bizarre and should probably stop,” he said. 

The exchange reflected a growing trend at some populist-right events, where questions about Israel and foreign aid increasingly dominate audience discussions. Local reporting from the event noted that multiple audience questions focused on Israel aid and foreign policy.

At the end of the exchange, the student pressed Ramaswamy on whether he would actively lobby Congress to end aid to Israel. He declined to make it part of his gubernatorial campaign platform.

“My focus is not on lobbying Congress,” he responded. “My focus is on leading Ohio to be the top state. Lower costs, bigger paychecks, and better schools for you guys. That’s my job. Foreign policy is somebody else’s.”