Appearing as a panel member on Sunday's Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN, former MSNBC and Newsweek contributor Rula Jebreal had one of the biggest on-air blow-ups against a fellow liberal that you're likely to witness all year. As the group discussed President Donald Trump's recent executive order halting immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, after Jebreal repeatedly claimed that the order was in reality motivated by a "white supremacist agenda," liberal George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley admonished her for making such inflammatory charges.
This did not sit well with Jebreal, who jumped in to shout at Turley for more than a minute as she accused him of defending a "Muslim ban" even though the liberal GWU professor was voicing opposition to the measure. Jebreal: "It is a Muslim ban, sir, and it is outrageous -- it's baffling that you are trying to normalize it or even defend it or justify it! You're betraying American values! This is outrageous!"
A bit earlier in the segment, after Turley had predicted that the executive order would not be overturned by a court because it is not technically a ban on Muslim immigration, host Fareed Zakaria turned to Jebreal, who was appearing from Rome, and suggested to her that she might be barred from coming into the U.S., even though she was born in Israel. Zakaria: "Rula, from Rome, I know you grew up in Israel, worked in Egypt and Italy, and now in the United States. What do you make of this? And, by the way, what happens to you? You're in Rome. Are you going to come back?"
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After warning Zakaria that he might also be banned because his family is of a Muslim background, Jebreal took issue with Turley's previous analysis and brought up "white supremacist" racism. Jebreal:
I heard the conversation before, and I want to tell Jonathan (Turley): Any law that is divorced from justice, it's not a law, it's an instrument of tyranny. This is sanctions -- government-sanctioned religious persecution. And it will not keep America safe. It's not about national security. This is about white supremacists. And it's clear.
After noting that none of the 9/11 hijackers had come from any of the countries on the list, she continued: "So it's not really about national security. He's using immigrants, refugees as a human shield to advance his, I would say, clash of civilization, white supremacist agenda."
A bit later, as she referred to President Trump diminishing Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford's role on the National Security Council while elevating advisor Steve Bannon, Jebreal continued: "Yesterday, he approved, he actually forced an important general, John Dunford, to resign, and he replaced him with a white supremacist guy called Steven Bannon who actually tell (sic) all of us journalists to shut up."
After a commercial break, Turley got the chance to speak again, and, in his typical mild-mannered fashion, chided Jebreal for her hyperbolic trashing of Trump and his supporters, leading his fellow liberal panel member to blow a gasket. Before being cut off by Jebreal, Turley warned:
I don't believe that 47 percent of the United States are white supremacists. I think if we're going to reach any type of resolution, we have got to stop calling each other names, and to pretend that we're worse than we are. There are people on the other side who support this who are not white supremacists. In my view, they're wrong to support it. But the way to convince them is not to suggest that they're all white supremacists or that this is a Muslim ban. It is not. Now, I agree that this is a mistake-
At this point, Jebreal jumped in and started shouting:
It is a Muslim ban, sir! It is a Muslim ban! It is a Muslim ban, sir, and it is outrageous -- it's baffling that you are trying to normalize it or even defend it or justify it! You're betraying American values! This is outrageous! It's not about passion, this is about facts! Read the executive order -- it talks clearly about Muslims and about Christians-
After Turley mildly injected, "My point exactly. Sorry, you're making my point," her rant continued for over a minute:
-and about Christian minorities that are welcome! However, if you are a Shia -- if you are a Shia, you are not allowed even if you are raped, tortured by ISIS! I'm not making your point! Read my lips, and try to hear what I'm saying! You are trying to justify something not only courts in the past actually repealed, but they are not considered actually Americans! If you understand what America stands for, you're telling that interpreter that he does not belong there because of his religion!
Read the executive order very well and then try to explain to your part of the aisle or your political group that when you have Michael Flynn, General Flynn who says that Islam is a political ideology, is a sick ideology, when you have Bannon saying what he's saying, you're really trying to tell me and the audience that this is not really about political religious persecution! Give me a break!
After it sounded like Zakaria unsuccessfully tried to break in once or twice, he just blandly turned to another guest and posed another question after she concluded her rant.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, January 29, Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN:
10:23 a.m. ET
FAREED ZAKARIA: Rula, from Rome, I know you grew up in Israel, worked in Egypt and Italy, and now in the United States. What do you make of this? And, by the way, what happens to you? You're in Rome. Are you going to come back?
RULA JEBREAL, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ROME: Well, if they allow me, if they will not deport me. Obviously I'm a European Muslim, so if there will be a religious test, probably you and I, Fareed, will be on that list. So be careful if you leave actually. It's not only ordinary Muslims. I heard the conversation before, and I want to tell Jonathan (Turley): Any law that is divorced from justice, it's not a law, it's an instrument of tyranny. This is sanctions -- government-sanctioned religious persecution. And it will not keep America safe. It's not about national security. This is about white supremacists. And it's clear.
In the executive order the President signed, he mentioned 9/11 three times. However, none of the countries that were on that list had citizens who were involved in 9/11 -- the Saudis, Emiratis and others. So it's not really about national security. He's using immigrants, refugees as a human shield to advance his, I would say, clash of civilization, white supremacist agenda.
(...)
Yesterday, he approved, he actually forced an important general, John Dunford, to resign, and he replaced him with a white supremacist guy called Steven Bannon who actually tell (sic) all of us journalists to shut up.
(...)
JONATHAN TURLEY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW: I don't believe that 47 percent of the United States are white supremacists. I think if we're going to reach any type of resolution, we have got to stop calling each other names, and to pretend that we're worse than we are. There are people on the other side who support this who are not white supremacists. In my view, they're wrong to support it. But the way to convince them is not to suggest that they're all white supremacists or that this is a Muslim ban. It is not. Now, I agree that this is a mistake-
JEBREAL: It is a Muslim ban, sir! It is a Muslim ban! It is a Muslim ban, sir, and it is outrageous -- it's baffling that you are trying to normalize it-
TURLEY; My point exactly.
JEBREAL: -or even defend it or justify it! You're betraying American values! This is outrageous! It's not about passion, this is about facts! Read the executive order -- it talks clearly about Muslims and about Christians-
TURLEY: Sorry, you're making my point.
JEBREAL: -and about Christian minorities that are welcome! However, if you are a shia -- if you are a shia, you are not allowed even if you are raped, tortured by ISIS! I'm not making your point! Read my lips, and try to hear what I'm saying! You are trying to justify something not only courts in the past actually repealed, but they are not considered actually Americans! If you understand what America stands for, you're telling that interpreter that he does not belong there because of his religion!Read the executive order very well and then try to explain to your part of the aisle or your political group that when you have Michael Flynn, General Flynn who says that Islam is a political ideology, is a sick ideology, when you have Bannon saying what he's saying, you're really trying to tell me and the audience that this is not really about political religious persecution! Give me a break!
ZAKARIA: All right, I want to get -- Anthony, you think it is a Muslim ban.
