Watching Rep. Jerry Nadler [D-NY] on Saturday's edition of MSNBC's The Weekend, I was struck by how relaxed and comfortable he looked. As well he should be, knowing that his hosts would never challenge their fellow liberal.
And so it was that there was not a peep out of Symone Sanders Townsend, Alicia Menendez, or Michael Steele when Nadler laid out his support for cutting off crucial military supplies to Israel should it go into Rafah. The hosting trio either didn't know or didn't care that Nadler's position is diametrically opposite to the one he passionately advocated when Donald Trump was president.
Here was Nadler explaining his vote against a bill proposed by Republicans to assure continuing military aid to Israel:
"The president is, in my view quite properly, withholding certain very heavy ordinance--2000-pound bombs, etcetera, from Israel, if they go into Rafah. The only use of those weapons is to try to destroy tunnels deep underground. But in so doing, your destroying everything above ground. The kill radius of a 2000-pound bomb is 400 yards. And the president is quite properly withholding that.."
So that is Nadler now. But here was Nadler in 2019, when Donald Trump was president [emphasis added]:
Aid to Israel: Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) tells Jewish Insider’s Jacob Kornbluh that Democrats who have expressed support for leveraging aid to Israel are “wrong.” Nadler stressed that “We have a $38 billion committment over 10 years for military aid to Israel. The Israelis need it for defense. Whether we approve or disapprove of specific policies, we shouldn’t use military aid as a pressure point on specific policies — because Israel’s security is paramount.”
So, Nadler used to adamantly oppose using military aid as a "pressure point" on Israel to coerce it on policy issues. But now, that is precisely what Nadler is proposing. Threaten Israel with withholding badly needed munitions should it go into Rafah.
Nadler condemned as "nonsense" Israel's plan to eliminate Hamas now, once and for all. Instead, Nadler expressed his support for Biden's fantasy-land solution in which Arab countries would send their military forces to occupy Gaza, and perhaps 12 years down the road, a representative Palestinian organization could be created. So Hamas would continue to exist, and Arabs would be fighting Arabs for 12 years in Gaza. Now, that is true "nonsense!"
Before expressing his support for threatening to withhold military aid to Israel, Nadler went on a long-winded explanation of his vote against the Republican-sponsored Antisemitism Awareness Act. Indeed, Nadler bragged of having "led the opposition" to the bill.
So let's summarize. Nadler votes against a bill opposing antisemitism. He votes against a bill assuring continued military aid to Israel. He supports leaving Hamas in place in Rafah. He calls Netanyahu the worst Jewish leader in 2,000 years. And none of the show's liberal hosts say boo.
Here's a thought: perhaps Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ocasio-Cortez could make Jerry an honorary member of The Squad!
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
The Weekend
6/18/24
8:54 am EDTMICHAEL STEELE: Congressman, I want to broaden the scope a little bit, internationally. You voted no on two pieces of legislation this week. The Antisemitism Awareness Act, in which you put out a statement saying we need tangible solutions to this crisis, not political grandstanding and showmanship. That's why last week, I led the opposition to a bill that, despite it deceptive title, would chill constitutionally protected speech while do nothing to fund the programs that actually protect college campuses and houses of worship.
So you have that piece. And then you had also the, the weapons bill for Israel in which you noted, you voted against another cynical partisan attempt to politicize the U.S-Israeli relationship.
. . .
JERRY NADLER: The president is, in my view quite properly, withholding certain very heavy ordinance--2000-pound bombs, etcetera, from Israel, if they go into Rafah. And they say they're going to Rafah.
The only use of those weapons is to try to destroy tunnels deep underground. But in so doing, your destroying everything above ground. The kill radius of a 2000-pound bomb is 400 yards.
STEELE: Right.
NADLER: Which means, if you're standing here and the bomb drops, it could be fatal to, I think, 36th Street.
SYMONE SANDERS TOWNSEND: Oh my goodness.
NADLER: And the president is quite properly withholding that. Now, Netanyahu -- who I think is the worst Jewish leader since antiquity -- is saying that, well, there were 12 battalions, 12 Hamas battalions. We took care of eight of them up north. Now we have to take care of the other four.
That is nonsense. There may be 12, 12 battalions, but they're fighting up north again.The more you bomb them, you're just radicalizing more people --
STEELE: -- More and more people.
NADLER: -- and you're creating it. We should have learned that lesson in Mosul.
And if you want to follow an intelligent policy, you have to do what the president suggested. Bring in various Arab countries. Have them -- you have them, have their military forces occupy the territory. They rebuild it, and you do that for maybe a dozen years, and then you stand up a, a representative organization that can represent the Palestinians.
STEELE: All right. Congressman Jerry Nadler. Thank you so much. Really appreciate you bringing that to us. Really appreciate it very much.
