"As we work to reduce wasteful government spending," wrote Sen. Marco Rubio in a letter to Mitch McConnell on Thursday, "we recognize that providing for the national defense is a constitutional responsibility of the federal government. Therefore, we must continue to prioritize the security of our nation and the security of our allies, including Israel."

In other words: Slash, slash, slash the budget, but hands off our $3 billion in Israeli military aid.

There are approximately four reasons that a given politician might support our outsized aid to Israel, and sometimes it's fun to figure out which politician supports it for which reason. The reasons are, in no particular order:

1. A love of Israel's democratic, tolerant, and secular character.
2. A desire to see Jerusalem reclaimed by Jews, the Third Temple constructed, and the Christian End Times hastened.
3. A general dislike of Palestinians and/or Islam.
4. A desire to get re-elected.

If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.

SHOW ME HOW

X

Newsletters

_{All-access pass to the top stories, events and offers around town.}

• No Thanks
• Sign Up

X

SUCCESS!

You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!

I'd like to think Marco Rubio is in love with Israel for reason number one, but I don't know if there's anybody left in American politics who sees tolerance and secularism as anything other than buzzwords for Nazi/commie/fasco/uterusianism. Marco's a nice guy, so I'm guessing number three's out, and he doesn't seem crazy, so number two's a nonstarter. Which leaves us with number four. What do you think?

It's worth noting, per the above-linked article, that Rand Paul has announced his desire to see all foreign aid eliminated, including that to Israel. Which just goes to show you: Sometimes, honest-to-goodness idealism is way the hell scarier than old-fashioned political cynicism.

Follow The Juice on Facebook and on Twitter: @TheJuiceBPB.