Brad Schneider: No, It’s Not Okay for Israel to Restrict the Speech of Members of Congress

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BOLDUAN This ░░░░░░░░ getting nasty Oren thank ░░░░░░░░ very much I appreciate ░░░░░░░░ I wonder where this ░░░░░░░░ from here Let s ░░░░░░░░ out Joining me right ░░░░░░░░ democratic congresswoman Brad Schneider ░░░░░░░░ of Illinois He helped ░░░░░░░░ the recent move in ░░░░░░░░ house of representatives to ░░░░░░░░ the BDS movement that ░░░░░░░░ and Omar support that ░░░░░░░░ wrapped up in all ░░░░░░░░ this Congressman thank you ░░░░░░░░ being here SCHNEIDER Thanks ░░░░░░░░ having me BOLDUAN You ░░░░░░░░ the prime minister s ░░░░░░░░ or the government s ░░░░░░░░ to block both of ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress short ░░░░░░░░ and that was like ░░░░░░░░ hot second ago and ░░░░░░░░ we have these twists ░░░░░░░░ turns Now you re ░░░░░░░░ at something of a ░░░░░░░░ but with restrictions on ░░░░░░░░ and she s now ░░░░░░░░ to go under those ░░░░░░░░ as Oren laid out ░░░░░░░░ s your reaction this ░░░░░░░░ SCHNEIDER I think that ░░░░░░░░ decision that Congresswoman Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ making is a personal ░░░░░░░░ I did say yesterday ░░░░░░░░ the decision the prime ░░░░░░░░ s decision to deny ░░░░░░░░ to both Congresswoman Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ Omar was wrong and ░░░░░░░░ because they re missing ░░░░░░░░ broader point As members ░░░░░░░░ Congress when we have ░░░░░░░░ opportunity to go to ░░░░░░░░ or any country is ░░░░░░░░ opportunity to see and ░░░░░░░░ I ve been to ░░░░░░░░ more times than I ░░░░░░░░ count I ve never ░░░░░░░░ from any of those ░░░░░░░░ without having more questions ░░░░░░░░ home than I started ░░░░░░░░ going there And so ░░░░░░░░ think this was a ░░░░░░░░ opportunity a wrong decision ░░░░░░░░ it s a challenge ░░░░░░░░ the strong bipartisan support ░░░░░░░░ Israel we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ Congress Just last month ░░░░░░░░ led the effort we ░░░░░░░░ 398 members of Congress ░░░░░░░░ to support the U ░░░░░░░░ Israel relationship and commit ░░░░░░░░ security and condemn the ░░░░░░░░ movement BOLDUAN You don ░░░░░░░░ agree with Tlaib and ░░░░░░░░ on the issue of ░░░░░░░░ basically at all But ░░░░░░░░ you recommend that she ░░░░░░░░ through with the visit ░░░░░░░░ Israel is telling her ░░░░░░░░ essentially she can t ░░░░░░░░ out while there Would ░░░░░░░░ agree to the conditions ░░░░░░░░ this if circumstances were ░░░░░░░░ SCHNEIDER Again I think ░░░░░░░░ s a personal decision ░░░░░░░░ know for me personally ░░░░░░░░ would want to see ░░░░░░░░ grandmother But that s ░░░░░░░░ her to make her ░░░░░░░░ decision with her family ░░░░░░░░ I said I wish ░░░░░░░░ the Israeli government BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ re looking to end ░░░░░░░░ a democratic government a ░░░░░░░░ country in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ Israel is a democracy ░░░░░░░░ they re looking to ░░░░░░░░ there and you think ░░░░░░░░ do you think it ░░░░░░░░ OK that the Israeli ░░░░░░░░ put restrictions on their ░░░░░░░░ of a U S ░░░░░░░░ of Congress SCHNEIDER No ░░░░░░░░ I said this yesterday ░░░░░░░░ think that they should ░░░░░░░░ allowed to enter Israel ░░░░░░░░ tour Israel Again I ░░░░░░░░ came back last week ░░░░░░░░ Israel We visited not ░░░░░░░░ Jerusalem but we went ░░░░░░░░ Ramallah we spoke with ░░░░░░░░ Abbas we spoke with ░░░░░░░░ Minister Netanyahu we also ░░░░░░░░ with the leader of ░░░░░░░░ opposition Benny Gantz We ░░░░░░░░ to the Gaza border ░░░░░░░░ visited Lebanon borders and ░░░░░░░░ border We spoke with ░░░░░░░░ and Israelis We saw ░░░░░░░░ in many of its ░░░░░░░░ And I think it ░░░░░░░░ important to go to ░░░░░░░░ situation and see as ░░░░░░░░ of the picture as ░░░░░░░░ But I also think ░░░░░░░░ s important and this ░░░░░░░░ just my style is ░░░░░░░░ try to build bridges ░░░░░░░░ before I got to ░░░░░░░░ the effort to try ░░░░░░░░ bring peace between Israelis ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians to work toward ░░░░░░░░ the possibility of a ░░░░░░░░ state solution The reason ░░░░░░░░ I believe is anti ░░░░░░░░ is because it denies ░░░░░░░░ Jewish aspiration for a ░░░░░░░░ of their own but ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians have their own ░░░░░░░░ The path is between ░░░░░░░░ between the two parties ░░░░░░░░ the role the United ░░░░░░░░ should be playing is ░░░░░░░░ help create the forum ░░░░░░░░ those parties to come ░░░░░░░░ and the strength that ░░░░░░░░ finds in many ways ░░░░░░░░ because of the support ░░░░░░░░ get bipartisan support in ░░░░░░░░ united States Congress and ░░░░░░░░ is why I m ░░░░░░░░ critical of president Trump ░░░░░░░░ to use Israel as ░░░░░░░░ wedge issue Trying to ░░░░░░░░ away support among Democrats ░░░░░░░░ don t think it ░░░░░░░░ be it s an ░░░░░░░░ situation BOLDUAN I want ░░░░░░░░ ask you about the ░░░░░░░░ s involvement here First ░░░░░░░░ don t know another ░░░░░░░░ of asking this Who ░░░░░░░░ more wrong here Israel ░░░░░░░░ position or Rashida Tlaib ░░░░░░░░ refusing to go SCHNEIDER ░░░░░░░░ think that s the ░░░░░░░░ frame I think Congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ s positions on Israel ░░░░░░░░ wrong I have said ░░░░░░░░ I have talked to ░░░░░░░░ about it I think ░░░░░░░░ has a narrative but ░░░░░░░░ don t think she ░░░░░░░░ looked at the broader ░░░░░░░░ Like I said I ░░░░░░░░ the path to peace ░░░░░░░░ two states for two ░░░░░░░░ m committed to that ░░░░░░░░ s why the resolution ░░░░░░░░ month was so important ░░░░░░░░ I ve also said ░░░░░░░░ believe the decision by ░░░░░░░░ Minister Netanyahu not to ░░░░░░░░ them in was both ░░░░░░░░ and shortsighted and I ░░░░░░░░ we can find a ░░░░░░░░ and the Israeli government ░░░░░░░░ change its position I ░░░░░░░░ it would be good ░░░░░░░░ all of my colleagues ░░░░░░░░ visit Israel and see ░░░░░░░░ situation from all sides ░░░░░░░░ understand why Israel is ░░░░░░░░ an important ally for ░░░░░░░░ and for economics And ░░░░░░░░ more you see the ░░░░░░░░ you learn the more ░░░░░░░░ know BOLDUAN That is ░░░░░░░░ great point Let me ░░░░░░░░ you how The New ░░░░░░░░ Times put it in ░░░░░░░░ of President Trump s ░░░░░░░░ here this morning By ░░░░░░░░ a foreign power to ░░░░░░░░ action against two American ░░░░░░░░ Mr Trump crossed a ░░░░░░░░ that other presidents have ░░░░░░░░ Ex sporting his partisan ░░░░░░░░ beyond the country s ░░░░░░░░ What do you think ░░░░░░░░ real impact of the ░░░░░░░░ s words were both ░░░░░░░░ and SCHNEIDER I think ░░░░░░░░ much of what the ░░░░░░░░ is doing and crossing ░░░░░░░░ and having a negative ░░░░░░░░ especially on the global ░░░░░░░░ I say all the ░░░░░░░░ that the world is ░░░░░░░░ better place and America ░░░░░░░░ more secure when we ░░░░░░░░ in and lead I ░░░░░░░░ the president s view ░░░░░░░░ the opposite of that ░░░░░░░░ to pull us away ░░░░░░░░ grew up at a ░░░░░░░░ where there was a ░░░░░░░░ that our politics ended ░░░░░░░░ the nation s shore ░░░░░░░░ when we were overseas ░░░░░░░░ spoke as one nation ░░░░░░░░ country that has an ░░░░░░░░ in the world The ░░░░░░░░ s interests are different ░░░░░░░░ think it s unfortunate ░░░░░░░░ he interjected himself into ░░░░░░░░ situation with this visit ░░░░░░░░ the politics in Israel ░░░░░░░░ I pray and will ░░░░░░░░ to work that this ░░░░░░░░ is unable to try ░░░░░░░░ create a partisan divide ░░░░░░░░ support for Israel in ░░░░░░░░ United States Congress There ░░░░░░░░ not a lot of ░░░░░░░░ where we can get ░░░░░░░░ members to speak out ░░░░░░░░ unison in one voice ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for coming ░░░░░░░░ SCHNEIDER: “Thank you.”