Rand Paul.

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) is opposing the Jan. 4 appointment of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying the move “should be raising red flags and provoking severe concern across the pro-Israel community” due to his opposition to foreign aid.

NJDC noted in a press release that Paul “twice pushed for ending U.S. ‘welfare’ (in his words) for Israel,” adding that the senator “has been a staunch opponent of general U.S. foreign aid—which has long been supported by the pro-Israel community—and even used his leadership [political action committee] to push his anti-foreign aid agenda during the 2012 campaign.”

“The overwhelmingly pro-Israel American public deserves much better than a radical ideologue on the Senate’s primary diplomatic committee who has demonstrated a singular obsession with slashing aid to the Jewish state,” NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris said in a statement.

Rand Paul, the son of Texas congressman and 2012 presidential candidate Ron Paul, is currently visiting Israel and was therefore unable to immediately respond to a request for comment from JNS.org. Before Rand’s trip, he told the Washington Post that he was looking forward to “seeing our Judeo-Christian roots.”

Reacting to Paul’s Israel trip, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Executive Director David Brog had said, “If Senator Paul returns from his visit and demonstrates that he has become a true friend to Israel—in both word and in deed—then Christians United for Israel will be among the first to congratulate him and welcome him ‘home.'”