By By Andrew Moran Jan 2, 2010 in Politics On "Larry King Live" this past week, Economist Ben Stein called Congressman Ron Paul's foreign policy arguments "anti-Semitic" and now the Republican Representative is challenging Stein and others like him to a public foreign policy debate. The former 2008 Republican Presidential candidate said that the United States foreign policy in the Middle East, including Yemen, was the contributing factor for 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab’s attempt to blow up the airplane and continues to be for terrorists around the world. Stein disagreed with the notion and told viewers that Dr. Paul was actually instead stating that “we are doing something wrong by defending ourselves. Look, if these terrorists are trying to kill the government of Yemen, we've got to help defend them. They are our friends.” Paul continued to ask why are the terrorists targeting the US and its allies and Stein responded because “they are psychos.” The OB/GYN said because the US is an occupying force and Stein immediately took offence to that and vehemently stated, “No we’re not occupies that’s the same anti-Semitic argument we hear over and over again.” Both men were perturbed and called on each other for an apology. Several days later, in an interview with Campaign for Liberty, Paul challenged Stein, and other neo-conservatives who believe in an interventionist foreign policy and pre-emptive war strategy, to a public debate, according to “I like to see a real debate; as a matter of fact I’d be really pleased to debate Ben Stein. I like to see if he really would. That way we can have a good moderator and to seriously discuss the issue. I think someone like Bob Schaeffer would be a real good moderator to do something like that or some school so somebody can do it.” Paul further stated it would be a great challenge to his ideas and also to the people like Stein who believe in a great US presence around the globe in the name of national defence. Paul concluded, “I hereby challenge Ben Stein. Would you like to debate? If you do, I’ll meet you.” Digital Journal reported on Tuesday that Republican Congressman Ron Paul, Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Economist and former Presidential speechwriter Ben Stein were on “Larry King Live” to discuss the recent attempted terrorist attack on the Northwest Airlines flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit and the recent bombings in Yemen The former 2008 Republican Presidential candidate said that the United States foreign policy in the Middle East, including Yemen, was the contributing factor for 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab’s attempt to blow up the airplane and continues to be for terrorists around the world.Stein disagreed with the notion and told viewers that Dr. Paul was actually instead stating that “we are doing something wrong by defending ourselves. Look, if these terrorists are trying to kill the government of Yemen, we've got to help defend them. They are our friends.” Paul continued to ask why are the terrorists targeting the US and its allies and Stein responded because “they are psychos.”The OB/GYN said because the US is an occupying force and Stein immediately took offence to that and vehemently stated, “No we’re not occupies that’s the same anti-Semitic argument we hear over and over again.” Both men were perturbed and called on each other for an apology.Several days later, in an interview with Campaign for Liberty, Paul challenged Stein, and other neo-conservatives who believe in an interventionist foreign policy and pre-emptive war strategy, to a public debate, according to Liberty Maven “I like to see a real debate; as a matter of fact I’d be really pleased to debate Ben Stein. I like to see if he really would. That way we can have a good moderator and to seriously discuss the issue. I think someone like Bob Schaeffer would be a real good moderator to do something like that or some school so somebody can do it.” Paul further stated it would be a great challenge to his ideas and also to the people like Stein who believe in a great US presence around the globe in the name of national defence.Paul concluded, “I hereby challenge Ben Stein. Would you like to debate? If you do, I’ll meet you.” More about Ron paul, Ben stein, Foreign policy More news from ron paul ben stein foreign policy