democracynow--2020-08-14--Rashid Khalidi: Israel & UAE Deal to Normalize Relations Is New Chapter in 100-Year War on Palestine

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues .
Under the deal , Israel has agreed to temporarily suspend plans to annex the West Bank — a move that appeared to have already been on hold due to international condemnation .
The UAE is the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel and just the third country in the Arab world to do so , after Egypt and Jordan .
President Trump announced the UAE-Israel deal on Thursday in an Oval Office event , flanked by U.S .
Ambassador to Israel David Friedman , his former bankruptcy lawyer ; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ; and Trump ’ s son-in-law Jared Kushner .
AMY GOODMAN : The Palestinian Authority rejected and denounced the trilateral deal and recalled its ambassador to the UAE .
Meanwhile , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Israel may still annex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Critics of the Israeli occupation decried the deal .
Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib , the first female Palestinian congresswoman , tweeted , quote , “ We won ’ t be fooled by another Trump/Netanyahu deal .
We won ’ t celebrate Netanyahu for not stealing land he already controls in exchange for a sweetheart business deal .
The heart of the issue has never been planned , formal annexation , but ongoing , devastating apartheid , ” she said .
Meanwhile , CodePink ’ s Medea Benjamin warned the deal is aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alliance against Iran.
” We ’ re joined now by Rashid Khalidi , the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University , author of several books , including his latest , The Hundred Years ’ War on Palestine .
Professor Khalidi , thanks for joining us .
Can you respond to this surprise announcement yesterday ?
RASHID KHALIDI : Well , in a sense , it ’ s another campaign in the hundred years ’ war on Palestine .
This is a great victory for Arab reaction .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government in Israel .
It ’ s also a boost for President Trump .
The Trump regime , which is one of the most authoritarian in American history , has now gotten a diplomatic victory .
So , I don ’ t see that it has anything to do with peace , of course .
The United Arab Emirates was never at war with Israel .
On the contrary , it makes the chance of a just , equitable and sustainable peace much , much , much harder .
AMY GOODMAN : So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
And can you explain how it came about ?
And then respond to the Palestinian leadership ’ s denunciation and rejection of the deal .
RASHID KHALIDI : Well , it came about partly because of the blowback against the Trump-Netanyahu plan to overtly annex territories , which , as Rashida Tlaib said , are already under Israeli control , and , as Netanyahu said , he still plans to annex .
But the blowback was so severe that both Trump and Netanyahu were forced to recalibrate .
And this is something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to bring the most reactionary , most absolute monarchies in the world into an open public alliance with Israel , as part of the Netanyahu-Trump obsession with Iran , which is something that these regimes are also obsessed with , given that they have — they do not depend on consent of the governed , they do not have any kind of domestic legitimacy , they ’ re anti-democratic .
They are the forces that fight against democracy throughout the Arab world .
The United Arab Emirates is not a force for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the people of Yemen .
It ’ s at war in Libya .
It has never been involved in a war with Israel .
So , this is making overt a relationship that was already covert .
This is making even more salient an alliance against Iran , which is the wet dream of both Netanyahu and Trump , to dangle Iran in front of people ’ s eyes to distract them from the kinds of reactionary dictatorships or absolute monarchies .
Those monarchies are so reactionary that they make Henry VIII @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Robespierre .
They are the most — they are the most absolute monarchies in the world today .
The fact that the United States is supporting them is an absolute disgrace .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , on Thursday , President Trump was questioned about whether Israel may still annex the West Bank .
This is what he said .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that ’ s the U.S. ambassador to Israel on the sidelines of the press conference , David Friedman , the former bankruptcy lawyer for — AMY GOODMAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Trump had said , “ I wanted it to be called the Donald J. Trump Accord.
” The national security adviser , Robert O ’ Brien said President Trump should be the front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize .
RASHID KHALIDI : Well , as I ’ ve said , the United Arab Emirates has never been engaged in war with Israel .
On the contrary , the United Arab Emirates ’ air defenses , its missile defenses , are manufactured in Israel and are probably controlled from Israel .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in practice .
It always has been .
Now this has been made public .
Whatever the president and his ambassador to Israel say , I would take Netanyahu at his word .
There is no change in his plans .
He said it .
You ran a clip from him , speaking in Hebrew .
They will continue the ongoing colonization of the West Bank .
They will continue to control it absolutely .
Israel will continue to be the only sovereign between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have one set of laws and Palestinians , under occupation , basically have the law of the jungle , i.e .
military occupation , military courts , in which everybody is always guilty and in which about 20 % of the Palestinian population has been sent to prison .
So , we ’ re talking about a jackboot regime which is going to be sustained and continued by this deal .
That ’ s not peace .
That ’ s continuation of colonization and occupation , whatever the president says .
AMY GOODMAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outgoing special envoy for Iran , also spoke at the White House Thursday .
AMY GOODMAN : Meanwhile , CodePink ’ s Medea Benjamin warned the deal is aimed at bolstering the “ Israel-US-Gulf alliance against Iran , ” Professor Khalidi .
RASHID KHALIDI : Right , right .
I ’ m glad you ran that clip by Brian Hook , because one of the greatest falsehoods that these people peddle is this idea that there is a conflict between the Arabs and Iran .
There is a conflict between nonrepresentative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public opinion considers Israel a great danger .
There are polls every couple of years , run by the Arab Center , which show that across a dozen Arab countries , the Arabs , the people , most of them unrepresented by these dictatorships and absolute monarchies , consider Iran a minor threat .
It ’ s a problem , but it ’ s not the number one problem .
For these regimes , which have no domestic legitimacy , which do not depend on consent of the governed , of course Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need the United States and Israel , because they can ’ t defend themselves , given the fact that — against their people , let alone against external threats , because they have no domestic legitimacy .
So , I think this is not something between the Arabs and Iran .
This is something between unrepresentative and undemocratic Arab regimes , notably the absolute monarchies of the Gulf , and Iran .
AMY GOODMAN : Of course , President Trump is feeling somewhat embattled .
Former vice president , the presumptive 2020 Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Middle East deal saying in a statement , quote , “ The UAE ’ s offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome , brave , and badly-needed act of statesmanship .
… Annexation would be a body blow to the cause of peace , which is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president.
” Can you respond to the Democratic position ?
RASHID KHALIDI : Well , I think that the leadership of the Democratic Party , from Biden to Senator Harris to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Pelosis and the Clintons and the Obamas , all of them are behind the times .
The Democratic Party , its base , the people who are going to vote for the Democrats and will hopefully defeat Trump in November and take back the Senate and increase the progressive trends in the House , don ’ t feel that way .
They strongly believe that Israel should be sanctioned for its violations of Palestinian human rights .
They don ’ t have the position that the Democratic Party leadership has .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be necessary to force the leadership to do what the people want — that is to say , its own — the people who will vote them into office , should they win in November .
They don ’ t represent the people that they claim to represent , on this issue at least .
And it ’ s going to require a lot of pressure on these people , who are basically mired in the past positions of the Democratic Party , which were always blind to Israel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not new , and it ’ s unfortunately been further entrenched by Biden and Harris becoming the nominees for the party .
There were several other candidates — obviously , Senator Sanders and Senator Warren , but others — who had more nuanced positions , much more in tune with the base of the Democratic Party on this issue , on the issue of Palestine .
So , a lot of work is going to be necessary to force a leadership , that is , as I ’ ve said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doesn ’ t see the Palestinians , to do the right thing .
AMY GOODMAN : In the Gaza Strip , just as this was being announced , Israeli tanks and warplanes attacked Palestinian neighborhoods overnight for the fourth time this week .
Israel said the raids were retaliation for incendiary balloons launched by Hamas , one Israeli missile striking a United Nations elementary school in the crowded al-Shati refugee camp but failed to explode , prompting an evacuation .
This is a 12-year-old student , Lianne Al-Musawabi .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection between the announcement and what ’ s happening in Gaza now and the significance of that ?
RASHID KHALIDI : Well , Israel has been engaged in what one Israeli once called “ mowing the grass , ” you know , periodically bombarding Gaza , periodically using overwhelming force against the Palestinians , partly in order to keep the Palestinians divided , which is an Israeli objective , and to keep Hamas off balance .
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a secret negotiation for the better part of a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of getting a real ceasefire in place , in return for which Israel would lift some of its incredible restrictions on movement and on the transfer of goods into and out of the Gaza Strip .
And this is part of that tit-for-tat between the overwhelming force used by Israel and the relatively minor irritation of balloons that burn some crops .
So , Israel will bombard with bombs and missiles , and what comes from Gaza is basically minor in comparison .
The importance of it , really , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think relates to this larger deal involving the Emirates .
It is part of a policy of divide and rule that Israel has adopted over a very long period of time , and that Palestinian division helps .
So , the Palestinian leaderships in Gaza and the West Bank , that refuse to put the interests of the Palestinian people ahead of their own narrow self-interest , are playing Israel ’ s game — both of them , regrettably — and deserve to be sanctioned by the Palestinian people for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you also have both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu under fierce attack for how they have dealt with the pandemic .
Thousands of Israelis have been in the streets protesting Netanyahu .
It has one of the worst outbreaks in the world .
Do you see a relationship with what ’ s going on now , with this announcement ?
And also , how would it play out ?
Do you see this happening before the U.S. election ?
And how do you feel people in the U.S. would respond to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annexation happening ?
Is that your question , Amy ?
AMY GOODMAN : No .
Do you see this deal being signed off on ?
RASHID KHALIDI : Oh , the Emirates deal .
Oh , yes , absolutely .
This is a feather in — Trump sees this as a feather in his cap , as does Netanyahu .
Both of them are facing enormous public opposition because of their terrible handling of the pandemic , because of their appalling handling of the economic issues , not to speak of issues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , not to speak of the Palestine question and the oppression of millions and millions of Palestinians by Israel , in the case of Israel .
So they both have enormous pressure on them from the street .
We have demonstrations in the street ; they have demonstrations in the street in Israel .
Both rulers have the kinds of autocratic tendencies — I think they wish they could be Mohammed bin Zayed or Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia , where they could simply rule by fiat .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move towards that in this country , and Netanyahu has been moving towards that himself .
So , they are under enormous pressure from below .
And this is a — this is meant by both of them , in terms of domestic public opinion , as a distraction .
AMY GOODMAN : This is from The New York Times , Rashid .
Dennis Ross , the former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic administrations , said another lure for the Emiratis was the possibility of obtaining advanced weaponry they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States sells only to countries at peace with Israel to preserve its qualitative military edge in the region .
Your thoughts ?
RASHID KHALIDI : Well , the United Arab Emirates , as I mentioned , already has a anti-missile defense system , which is manufactured by Raytheon , largely from and in Israel .
Obviously , it ’ s an American company , so they maintain the illusion that they ’ re buying American equipment .
I am sure they would like more of this , but they can already get whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get , I assume , is equipment that the United States produces .
So , it is a cozy — it ’ s a business relationship , as Rashida Tlaib , Congresswoman Tlaib , rightly said .
At base , bin Zayed is paying for protection from the local bullies on the block , the United States and Israel , from his own people , from the Arab peoples , and from external enemies .
And he needs the weaponry , with which he can defend himself against these external enemies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is actually part of the deal .
Ross , unusually , is right on this .
AMY GOODMAN : And finally , what do you think a just deal would look like in the Middle East and between the Israelis and the Palestinians ?
RASHID KHALIDI : A just deal means equal rights for everybody .
A just deal means that national rights have to be accepted for both people .
The nation-state law — Israel is a Jewish nation-state — in 2018 , said there ’ s only one people entitled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And that can not stand .
There are two peoples there .
Any solution that doesn ’ t accept that and give them equal rights — what is paraded as a , quote-unquote , “ two-state solution ” is a one-state solution .
One state has sovereignty and control ; the other state does not .
One state controls movement of everybody in and out ; the other so-called state , the Palestinian state , under a so-called two-state solution , would have no control over immigration , import/export , groundwater , airspace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moreover , Palestinians would be restricted to a tiny fraction of the Occupied Territories , let alone of the entirety of Palestine .
This is not just .
And the current situation is not sustainable .
So , there has to be equality of rights between both people , on every level — religious rights , personal rights , political rights and national rights .
AMY GOODMAN : Rashid Khalidi , we want to thank you so much for being with us , Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his latest , The Hundred Years ’ War on Palestine .
When we come back , as calls grow to release people from prison in the United States , especially amidst the pandemic , a new series by filmmaker Messiah Rhodes looks at why breaking the cycle of incarceration is so hard , especially for women , including his own mother .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues. Under the deal, Israel has agreed to temporarily suspend plans to annex the West Bank — a move that appeared to have already been on hold due to international condemnation. The UAE is the first Gulf Arab country to normalize relations with Israel and just the third country in the Arab world to do so, after Egypt and Jordan.
President Trump announced the UAE-Israel deal on Thursday in an Oval Office event, flanked by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, his former bankruptcy lawyer; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: By uniting two of America’s closest and most capable partners in the region, something which said could not be done, this deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East. Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead.
AMY GOODMAN: The Palestinian Authority rejected and denounced the trilateral deal and recalled its ambassador to the UAE. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Israel may still annex the West Bank.
PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: [translated] There is no change in my plan to apply our sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, in full coordination with the United States. I am committed. It has not changed. I remind you that I am the one who put the issue of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria on the table. This issue continues to remain on the table.
AMY GOODMAN: Critics of the Israeli occupation decried the deal. Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the first female Palestinian congresswoman, tweeted, quote, “We won’t be fooled by another Trump/Netanyahu deal. We won’t celebrate Netanyahu for not stealing land he already controls in exchange for a sweetheart business deal. The heart of the issue has never been planned, formal annexation, but ongoing, devastating apartheid,” she said.
Meanwhile, CodePink’s Medea Benjamin warned the deal is aimed at bolstering the, quote, “Israel-US-Gulf alliance against Iran.”
We’re joined now by Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, author of several books, including his latest, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
Professor Khalidi, thanks for joining us. Can you respond to this surprise announcement yesterday?
RASHID KHALIDI: Well, in a sense, it’s another campaign in the hundred years’ war on Palestine. This is a great victory for Arab reaction. It’s a great victory for the annexationist government in Israel. It’s also a boost for President Trump. The Trump regime, which is one of the most authoritarian in American history, has now gotten a diplomatic victory.
So, I don’t see that it has anything to do with peace, of course. The United Arab Emirates was never at war with Israel. On the contrary, it makes the chance of a just, equitable and sustainable peace much, much, much harder.
AMY GOODMAN: So, were you surprised by this announcement? And can you explain how it came about? And then respond to the Palestinian leadership’s denunciation and rejection of the deal.
RASHID KHALIDI: Well, it came about partly because of the blowback against the Trump-Netanyahu plan to overtly annex territories, which, as Rashida Tlaib said, are already under Israeli control, and, as Netanyahu said, he still plans to annex. But the blowback was so severe that both Trump and Netanyahu were forced to recalibrate.
And this is something that has always been ongoing, the plan to bring the most reactionary, most absolute monarchies in the world into an open public alliance with Israel, as part of the Netanyahu-Trump obsession with Iran, which is something that these regimes are also obsessed with, given that they have — they do not depend on consent of the governed, they do not have any kind of domestic legitimacy, they’re anti-democratic. They are the forces that fight against democracy throughout the Arab world. The United Arab Emirates is not a force for peace. It’s at war with the people of Yemen. It’s at war in Libya. It has never been involved in a war with Israel.
So, this is making overt a relationship that was already covert. This is making even more salient an alliance against Iran, which is the wet dream of both Netanyahu and Trump, to dangle Iran in front of people’s eyes to distract them from the kinds of reactionary dictatorships or absolute monarchies. Those monarchies are so reactionary that they make Henry VIII and Louis XIV look like Tom Paine and Robespierre. They are the most — they are the most absolute monarchies in the world today. The fact that the United States is supporting them is an absolute disgrace.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, on Thursday, President Trump was questioned about whether Israel may still annex the West Bank. This is what he said.
REPORTER: The prime minister was pretty clear today at his own press conference that he considers this to be a temporary suspension and that the deal would still be open to him at some point in the future. I’m asking what you think he should do. Should he actually [inaudible]?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, right now all I can say: It’s off the table. So I can’t talk about some time into the future; that’s a big statement. But right now it’s off the table. Is that a correct statement, Mr. Ambassador?
DAVID FRIEDMAN: Yes. The word “suspend” was chosen carefully by all the parties. “Suspend,” by definition — look it up — means “temporary halt.” It’s off the table now, but it’s not off the table permanently.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s the U.S. ambassador to Israel on the sidelines of the press conference, David Friedman, the former bankruptcy lawyer for —
RASHID KHALIDI: Right.
AMY GOODMAN: — President Trump. Rashid Khalidi, President Trump had said, “I wanted it to be called the Donald J. Trump Accord.” The national security adviser, Robert O’Brien said President Trump should be the front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize.
RASHID KHALIDI: Well, as I’ve said, the United Arab Emirates has never been engaged in war with Israel. On the contrary, the United Arab Emirates’ air defenses, its missile defenses, are manufactured in Israel and are probably controlled from Israel. So, this is an ally of Israel in practice. It always has been. Now this has been made public.
Whatever the president and his ambassador to Israel say, I would take Netanyahu at his word. There is no change in his plans. He said it. You ran a clip from him, speaking in Hebrew. They will continue the ongoing colonization of the West Bank. They will continue to control it absolutely. Israel will continue to be the only sovereign between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. And it will continue its discriminatory policies whereby Israelis have one set of laws and Palestinians, under occupation, basically have the law of the jungle, i.e. military occupation, military courts, in which everybody is always guilty and in which about 20% of the Palestinian population has been sent to prison. So, we’re talking about a jackboot regime which is going to be sustained and continued by this deal. That’s not peace. That’s continuation of colonization and occupation, whatever the president says.
AMY GOODMAN: Brian Hook, the State Department’s outgoing special envoy for Iran, also spoke at the White House Thursday.
BRIAN HOOK: Peace between the Arabs and the Israelis is Iran’s worst nightmare. And no one has done more to intensify the conflict between Arabs and Israelis than Iran. And what we see today is a new Middle East. The trend lines are very different today. And we see the future is very much in the Gulf and with Israel. In the past, it was with the Iranian regime.
AMY GOODMAN: Meanwhile, CodePink’s Medea Benjamin warned the deal is aimed at bolstering the “Israel-US-Gulf alliance against Iran,” Professor Khalidi.
RASHID KHALIDI: Right, right. I’m glad you ran that clip by Brian Hook, because one of the greatest falsehoods that these people peddle is this idea that there is a conflict between the Arabs and Iran. There is a conflict between nonrepresentative, anti-democratic regimes and Iran.
Arab public opinion considers Israel a great danger. There are polls every couple of years, run by the Arab Center, which show that across a dozen Arab countries, the Arabs, the people, most of them unrepresented by these dictatorships and absolute monarchies, consider Iran a minor threat. It’s a problem, but it’s not the number one problem.
For these regimes, which have no domestic legitimacy, which do not depend on consent of the governed, of course Iran is a problem. Moreover, they need the United States and Israel, because they can’t defend themselves, given the fact that — against their people, let alone against external threats, because they have no domestic legitimacy.
So, I think this is not something between the Arabs and Iran. This is something between unrepresentative and undemocratic Arab regimes, notably the absolute monarchies of the Gulf, and Iran.
AMY GOODMAN: Of course, President Trump is feeling somewhat embattled. Former vice president, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden responded to his Middle East deal saying in a statement, quote, “The UAE’s offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly-needed act of statesmanship. … Annexation would be a body blow to the cause of peace, which is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president.” Can you respond to the Democratic position?
RASHID KHALIDI: Well, I think that the leadership of the Democratic Party, from Biden to Senator Harris to the people who run it, the Schumers and the Pelosis and the Clintons and the Obamas, all of them are behind the times. The Democratic Party, its base, the people who are going to vote for the Democrats and will hopefully defeat Trump in November and take back the Senate and increase the progressive trends in the House, don’t feel that way. They strongly believe that Israel should be sanctioned for its violations of Palestinian human rights. They don’t have the position that the Democratic Party leadership has.
So, a lot of work is going to be necessary to force the leadership to do what the people want — that is to say, its own — the people who will vote them into office, should they win in November. They don’t represent the people that they claim to represent, on this issue at least. And it’s going to require a lot of pressure on these people, who are basically mired in the past positions of the Democratic Party, which were always blind to Israel’s faults and blind to the Palestinians.
This is not new, and it’s unfortunately been further entrenched by Biden and Harris becoming the nominees for the party. There were several other candidates — obviously, Senator Sanders and Senator Warren, but others — who had more nuanced positions, much more in tune with the base of the Democratic Party on this issue, on the issue of Palestine. So, a lot of work is going to be necessary to force a leadership, that is, as I’ve said, completely blind to Israel’s faults and doesn’t see the Palestinians, to do the right thing.
AMY GOODMAN: In the Gaza Strip, just as this was being announced, Israeli tanks and warplanes attacked Palestinian neighborhoods overnight for the fourth time this week. Israel said the raids were retaliation for incendiary balloons launched by Hamas, one Israeli missile striking a United Nations elementary school in the crowded al-Shati refugee camp but failed to explode, prompting an evacuation. This is a 12-year-old student, Lianne Al-Musawabi.
LIANNE AL-MUSAWABI: [translated] I was shocked. I went home and told my mother what happened, and I was crying, “Why are they hitting the school?”
AMY GOODMAN: Professor Khalidi, do you see a connection between the announcement and what’s happening in Gaza now and the significance of that?
RASHID KHALIDI: Well, Israel has been engaged in what one Israeli once called “mowing the grass,” you know, periodically bombarding Gaza, periodically using overwhelming force against the Palestinians, partly in order to keep the Palestinians divided, which is an Israeli objective, and to keep Hamas off balance.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a secret negotiation for the better part of a year, actually more, with the objective of getting a real ceasefire in place, in return for which Israel would lift some of its incredible restrictions on movement and on the transfer of goods into and out of the Gaza Strip. And this is part of that tit-for-tat between the overwhelming force used by Israel and the relatively minor irritation of balloons that burn some crops. So, Israel will bombard with bombs and missiles, and what comes from Gaza is basically minor in comparison.
The importance of it, really, I don’t think, relates to — I don’t think relates to this larger deal involving the Emirates. It is part of a policy of divide and rule that Israel has adopted over a very long period of time, and that Palestinian division helps. So, the Palestinian leaderships in Gaza and the West Bank, that refuse to put the interests of the Palestinian people ahead of their own narrow self-interest, are playing Israel’s game — both of them, regrettably — and deserve to be sanctioned by the Palestinian people for their blindness.
AMY GOODMAN: And you also have both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu under fierce attack for how they have dealt with the pandemic. Thousands of Israelis have been in the streets protesting Netanyahu. It has one of the worst outbreaks in the world. Do you see a relationship with what’s going on now, with this announcement? And also, how would it play out? Do you see this happening before the U.S. election? And how do you feel people in the U.S. would respond to this?
RASHID KHALIDI: Do I see annexation happening? Is that your question, Amy?
AMY GOODMAN: No. Do you see this deal being signed off on?
RASHID KHALIDI: Oh, the Emirates deal. Oh, yes, absolutely. This is a feather in — Trump sees this as a feather in his cap, as does Netanyahu. Both of them are facing enormous public opposition because of their terrible handling of the pandemic, because of their appalling handling of the economic issues, not to speak of issues of racial discrimination and police brutality in the United States, not to speak of the Palestine question and the oppression of millions and millions of Palestinians by Israel, in the case of Israel. So they both have enormous pressure on them from the street. We have demonstrations in the street; they have demonstrations in the street in Israel.
Both rulers have the kinds of autocratic tendencies — I think they wish they could be Mohammed bin Zayed or Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, where they could simply rule by fiat. And the president is moving towards that, trying to move towards that in this country, and Netanyahu has been moving towards that himself. So, they are under enormous pressure from below. And this is a — this is meant by both of them, in terms of domestic public opinion, as a distraction.
AMY GOODMAN: This is from The New York Times, Rashid. Dennis Ross, the former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic administrations, said another lure for the Emiratis was the possibility of obtaining advanced weaponry they’ve long sought, which the United States sells only to countries at peace with Israel to preserve its qualitative military edge in the region. Your thoughts?
RASHID KHALIDI: Well, the United Arab Emirates, as I mentioned, already has a anti-missile defense system, which is manufactured by Raytheon, largely from and in Israel. Obviously, it’s an American company, so they maintain the illusion that they’re buying American equipment. I am sure they would like more of this, but they can already get whatever Israel produces. Now what they hope to get, I assume, is equipment that the United States produces.
So, it is a cozy — it’s a business relationship, as Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman Tlaib, rightly said. At base, bin Zayed is paying for protection from the local bullies on the block, the United States and Israel, from his own people, from the Arab peoples, and from external enemies. And he needs the weaponry, with which he can defend himself against these external enemies. So, yes, I think that is actually part of the deal. Ross, unusually, is right on this.
AMY GOODMAN: And finally, what do you think a just deal would look like in the Middle East and between the Israelis and the Palestinians?
RASHID KHALIDI: A just deal means equal rights for everybody. A just deal means that national rights have to be accepted for both people. The nation-state law — Israel is a Jewish nation-state — in 2018, said there’s only one people entitled to self-determination in the land of Israel. And that cannot stand. There are two peoples there. Any solution that doesn’t accept that and give them equal rights — what is paraded as a, quote-unquote, “two-state solution” is a one-state solution. One state has sovereignty and control; the other state does not. One state controls movement of everybody in and out; the other so-called state, the Palestinian state, under a so-called two-state solution, would have no control over immigration, import/export, groundwater, airspace — it would not be sovereign. Moreover, Palestinians would be restricted to a tiny fraction of the Occupied Territories, let alone of the entirety of Palestine. This is not just. And the current situation is not sustainable. So, there has to be equality of rights between both people, on every level — religious rights, personal rights, political rights and national rights.
AMY GOODMAN: Rashid Khalidi, we want to thank you so much for being with us, Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, author of a number of books, his latest, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
When we come back, as calls grow to release people from prison in the United States, especially amidst the pandemic, a new series by filmmaker Messiah Rhodes looks at why breaking the cycle of incarceration is so hard, especially for women, including his own mother. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-08-14--Headlines for August 14, 2020

Headlines for August 14, 2020

The United States recorded nearly 1,200 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ — the highest in the world by far .
U.S. nursing homes reported another surge @ @ @ @ @ lives of the country ’ s most vulnerable populations .
In Los Angeles , school @ @ @ @ @ protest caravan Thursday , circling City Hall to demand more funding for coronavirus safety measures @ @ @ @ @ is John Lewis , who ’ s driven a school bus in L.A. for 30 @ @ @ @ @ “ I miss work .
I love my job .
I love the students , @ @ @ @ @ .
But I understand why we can ’ t be at work right now , @ @ @ @ @ not safe right now.
” Across five states , more than 2,000 students , teachers @ @ @ @ @ quarantined , after hundreds tested positive for the coronavirus at the start of the school @ @ @ @ @ 1,200 people quarantined in the Cherokee County School District outside Atlanta , Georgia .

The United States recorded nearly 1,200 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. passed the 5.25 million mark — the highest in the world by far. U.S. nursing homes reported another surge in infections that threatens the lives of the country’s most vulnerable populations. In Los Angeles, school bus drivers led a noisy protest caravan Thursday, circling City Hall to demand more funding for coronavirus safety measures before schools reopen. This is John Lewis, who’s driven a school bus in L.A. for 30 years.
John Lewis: “I miss work. I love my job. I love the students, the people I work with. But I understand why we can’t be at work right now, because it’s just not safe right now.”
Across five states, more than 2,000 students, teachers and school employees have been quarantined, after hundreds tested positive for the coronavirus at the start of the school year. That includes nearly 1,200 people quarantined in the Cherokee County School District outside Atlanta, Georgia.


democracynow--2020-08-17--We Are in Danger Daily: Honduran Afro-Indigenous Garífuna Demand Return of Kidnapped Land Defenders

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org .
We are breaking with convention , and thi is The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
We turn now to Honduras , where preliminary hearings are set to begin today for one of the men accused of murdering the indigenous environmental activist Berta Cáceres , who was shot dead in her home in Honduras by hired hitmen in 2016 .
A judge will decide whether the case against one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to trial .
At least 212 land and environmental defenders were murdered last year .
That ’ s the highest number since the group Global Witness began gathering data eight years ago , looking at the world .
Around 40 % of those killed were Indigenous people .
Colombia was the deadliest country , with 64 land and environmental defenders killed .
Honduras was also high on the list .
The Berta Cáceres hearing comes as Afro-Indigenous Garífuna community in Honduras demands the safe return of five Garífuna land defenders who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town of Triunfo de la Cruz .
Witnesses say the abductors wore police uniforms and forced them into three unmarked vehicles at gunpoint .
Among those abducted was 27-year-old Alberth Snider Centeno , president of the Triunfo de la Cruz community board , a member of the group Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras .
This is Centeno in a recent video testimony prior to his forced disappearance .
AMY GOODMAN : And this is Garífuna leader Miriam Miranda , the executive director of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras , speaking to Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in July .
AMY GOODMAN : That was Garífuna leader Miriam Miranda .
This is just the latest attack against the Garífuna community in Honduras as they defend their territory from destructive projects fueled by foreign investors and the government .
Honduras became one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Black and Indigenous land and water defenders after the 2009 U.S.-backed coup there .
For more , we ’ re joined by Carla Garcia , international relations coordinator with the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras .
Welcome to Democracy Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great to have you with us .
Explain the horror of what has taken place .
Explain who these five Black Indigenous environmental leaders are .
CARLA GARCIA : Good morning , and thank you .
Thank you very much for lift the voice of OFRANEH , be on Democracy Now !
Right now as the Garífuna community , we are experimenting the worst days in the life of the community since 20 years to now .
We are in danger daily , all the leaders of the Garífuna community , all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It doesn ’ t matter if they are Garífunas , if they are Indigenous .
Everybody is in danger to die , to be killed , to be kidnapped .
And we are — for us , the real responsible of this is the government of Honduras .
And to give a little context of what is happening in Triunfo de la Cruz , Alberth Snider Centeno is one of the — is the most young leader being a chief in one of our communities .
And nobody believed that this young man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : punish the government , and claim for the comply of the sentence of the international court , international human rights court , who — sorry .
The international court is — Honduras needs to obey the international court rules and give back the land to the Triunfo de la Cruz .
And they are trying to don ’ t do that .
And that ’ s why they kidnapped Alberth Snider Centeno , to make the community walk back or make us step back .
We are not doing that , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s too much people dying , too much people in danger .
And our next generation needs the land to continue living .
AMY GOODMAN : You know , I wanted to turn to another clip of Garífuna leader Miriam Miranda speaking to Democracy Now !
from her home in Honduras last month .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Carla Garcia , can you tell us what you know of the people who abducted these five Indigenous leaders ?
CARLA GARCIA : So , what is the situation ?
They arrived on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And they went inside of every house , and they asked for those guys , those kids , and they removed them from the place , from their houses , from their community , and they disappeared .
So , if this is happening with five Indigenous or Garífuna men inside of the community , what can not happen with the people who is in the frontline , as happened with our hermana Berta Cáceres ?
They are going inside to the houses , and they are killing everybody with impunity .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , “ Today , more than ever , my life is in danger , ” because a month before this kidnapping , one of our Garífuna members who came to the international court also for the case of Punta Piedra , he disappeared .
He was kidnapped .
And six days later , we found him in a river , died , killed .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk about the years of violence that this Black Indigenous community , the Garífuna , have faced in Honduras ?
And talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is trying to smear the group that were disappeared , saying they ’ re involved in drug trafficking .
Who we know is involved in drug trafficking is JOH — that ’ s J-O-H — Juan Orlando Hernández ’ s brother .
And he has been implicated , the president himself , as well , who is supported — was supported by the Democrats , as well as by President Trump .
*CARLA GARCIA : So , it is very important to understand that right now Garífuna community is facing the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering , but this is escalating year by year .
In just 2019 , we cried for the death of 19 of our leaders in the different Garífuna communities .
And all the response from the government is , oh , if it ’ s a woman , it ’ s a passion of crime ; if it ’ s a man , he is involved in narcotraffic , or maybe he ’ s part of the gangs , or maras .
So , this is a recurrent situation , and we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you something : I became U.S. citizen , and my heart is in two parts , because I have my heart in Honduras , and I have my heart in the United States .
I love both countries .
But since 2019 , Honduras is living in the hell .
And U.S. , the government of U.S. , is saying nothing about that .
Everybody knows about the brother of the president , the actual president .
He ’ s here in jail .
The name of the president of Honduras is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities .
Why nobody is doing nothing ?
We are fighting against the beast right now .
And I know that U.S. has the best people in the world , as Honduras , too .
So , I claim for help .
I claim to open their eyes .
Open your eyes .
All the people who is dying there have the same blood that you have here .
AMY GOODMAN : Minnesota Congressmember Ilhan Omar , who just won her primary , and several other congressmembers are denouncing plans by the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next three years in a hydropower project in Honduras plagued by accusations of corruption and human rights violations .
And this goes to President Trump ’ s support for the president right now , who is attacking the five Garífuna leaders who have been abducted , Carla Garcia .
Can you talk about the connections you see ?
CARLA GARCIA : The land that we preserve is rich .
It ’ s rich .
And it ’ s the same thing that the land that the Indigenous communities in Honduras — or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what has happened to the Garífuna community , it ’ s happened across America to all Indigenous and Black communities .
Why ?
Because we live in common union with the Mother Nature .
We take care of the Mother Nature .
We don ’ t take away from the Mother Nature what we don ’ t need .
So , now they — everybody needs our rivers .
Everybody needs our land , our sea .
Everything that we have to live is supposed to go to other people .
I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay close attention to the letter that the congressmen sent , because the U.S. is facing the immigration situation .
Why do you think the people is immigrating from Honduras in this scale ?
Why the Garífuna community is coming in caravans to United States ?
Because the government of Honduras has taken away everything that they have and all opportunities for the next generation .
If the money goes from the United States to Honduras to invest and continue taking away what the community needs to continue living , people will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a problem that we need to cut from the root .
If not , our people will come to this country to suffer , to wait , to be treated as a criminal , as they are being treated in their own country .
AMY GOODMAN : Carla Garcia , we want to thank you so much for being with us .
Of course , we will continue to follow this very grave issue in Honduras .
Carla Garcia is international relations coordinator at the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaking with convention as we cover the Democratic National Convention , which virtually begins this evening .
We ’ ll bring highlights of the speeches of everyone from Bernie Sanders tonight and Michelle Obama and others .
That does it for today show .
Democracy Now !
is produced with Mike Burke , Renée Feltz , Deena Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , María Taracena , Carla Wills , Tami Woronoff , Charina Nadura , Sam Alcoff , Tey-Marie Astudillo , John Hamilton , Robby Karran , Hany Massoud , Adriano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stay safe .
Wear a mask .
Thanks .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. We are breaking with convention, and thi is The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
We turn now to Honduras, where preliminary hearings are set to begin today for one of the men accused of murdering the indigenous environmental activist Berta Cáceres, who was shot dead in her home in Honduras by hired hitmen in 2016. A judge will decide whether the case against one of the alleged killers, David Castillo, gets sent to trial.
At least 212 land and environmental defenders were murdered last year. That’s the highest number since the group Global Witness began gathering data eight years ago, looking at the world. Around 40% of those killed were Indigenous people. Colombia was the deadliest country, with 64 land and environmental defenders killed. Honduras was also high on the list.
The Berta Cáceres hearing comes as Afro-Indigenous Garífuna community in Honduras demands the safe return of five Garífuna land defenders who were kidnapped last month in the Caribbean coastal town of Triunfo de la Cruz. Witnesses say the abductors wore police uniforms and forced them into three unmarked vehicles at gunpoint. Among those abducted was 27-year-old Alberth Snider Centeno, president of the Triunfo de la Cruz community board, a member of the group Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras. This is Centeno in a recent video testimony prior to his forced disappearance.
ALBERTH SNIDER CENTENO: [translated] We have witnessed how the Garífuna people are being killed, how we’re being criminalized for being the rightful owners of this rich territory.
AMY GOODMAN: And this is Garífuna leader Miriam Miranda, the executive director of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras, speaking to Democracy Now! from her home in Honduras in July.
MIRIAM MIRANDA: [translated] What happened is a reflection of systemic persecution, systemic repression, but also a well-crafted plan by the Honduran state to exterminate the Garífuna community. … It’s important to understand that this pressure, this repression and everything we are facing is because we are a community in constant fight for ancestral rights.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Garífuna leader Miriam Miranda. This is just the latest attack against the Garífuna community in Honduras as they defend their territory from destructive projects fueled by foreign investors and the government. Honduras became one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Black and Indigenous land and water defenders after the 2009 U.S.-backed coup there.
For more, we’re joined by Carla Garcia, international relations coordinator with the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Carla. It’s great to have you with us. Explain the horror of what has taken place. Explain who these five Black Indigenous environmental leaders are.
CARLA GARCIA: Good morning, and thank you. Thank you very much for lift the voice of OFRANEH, be on Democracy Now! Right now as the Garífuna community, we are experimenting the worst days in the life of the community since 20 years to now. We are in danger daily, all the leaders of the Garífuna community, all the defenders of the land in Honduras. It doesn’t matter if they are Garífunas, if they are Indigenous. Everybody is in danger to die, to be killed, to be kidnapped. And we are — for us, the real responsible of this is the government of Honduras.
And to give a little context of what is happening in Triunfo de la Cruz, Alberth Snider Centeno is one of the — is the most young leader being a chief in one of our communities. And nobody believed that this young man was able to do what he do: punish the government, and claim for the comply of the sentence of the international court, international human rights court, who — sorry. The international court is — Honduras needs to obey the international court rules and give back the land to the Triunfo de la Cruz. And they are trying to don’t do that. And that’s why they kidnapped Alberth Snider Centeno, to make the community walk back or make us step back. We are not doing that, because it’s enough. It’s too much people dying, too much people in danger. And our next generation needs the land to continue living.
AMY GOODMAN: You know, I wanted to turn to another clip of Garífuna leader Miriam Miranda speaking to Democracy Now! from her home in Honduras last month.
MIRIAM MIRANDA: [translated] What we feel as an organization is that something similar to the Berta Cáceres case is going to repeat itself, where the government is going to parade a group of people or say, “This person was the one who committed the crime,” or “This person was the one who did it,” but the intellectual authors will remain with impunity. And this is one of the reasons why I feel like it is important to tell you — I have not told anyone, and I am going to speak with you honestly — today, more than ever, my life is in danger.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Carla Garcia, can you tell us what you know of the people who abducted these five Indigenous leaders?
CARLA GARCIA: So, what is the situation? They arrived on June 18 dressed in official police clothes. And they went inside of every house, and they asked for those guys, those kids, and they removed them from the place, from their houses, from their community, and they disappeared. So, if this is happening with five Indigenous or Garífuna men inside of the community, what cannot happen with the people who is in the frontline, as happened with our hermana Berta Cáceres? They are going inside to the houses, and they are killing everybody with impunity. So, that’s why Miriam is saying, “Today, more than ever, my life is in danger,” because a month before this kidnapping, one of our Garífuna members who came to the international court also for the case of Punta Piedra, he disappeared. He was kidnapped. And six days later, we found him in a river, died, killed.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about the years of violence that this Black Indigenous community, the Garífuna, have faced in Honduras? And talk about the president, Juan Orlando Hernández. He is trying to smear the group that were disappeared, saying they’re involved in drug trafficking. Who we know is involved in drug trafficking is JOH — that’s J-O-H — Juan Orlando Hernández’s brother. And he has been implicated, the president himself, as well, who is supported — was supported by the Democrats, as well as by President Trump.
*CARLA GARCIA: So, it is very important to understand that right now Garífuna community is facing the worst part of the violence that we are suffering, but this is escalating year by year. In just 2019, we cried for the death of 19 of our leaders in the different Garífuna communities. And all the response from the government is, oh, if it’s a woman, it’s a passion of crime; if it’s a man, he is involved in narcotraffic, or maybe he’s part of the gangs, or maras. So, this is a recurrent situation, and we are telling to the world.
Let me tell you something: I became U.S. citizen, and my heart is in two parts, because I have my heart in Honduras, and I have my heart in the United States. I love both countries. But since 2019, Honduras is living in the hell. And U.S., the government of U.S., is saying nothing about that. Everybody knows about the brother of the president, the actual president. He’s here in jail. The name of the president of Honduras is involved in bad activities, in narcotraffic activities. Why nobody is doing nothing? We are fighting against the beast right now. And I know that U.S. has the best people in the world, as Honduras, too. So, I claim for help. I claim to open their eyes. Open your eyes. All the people who is dying there have the same blood that you have here.
AMY GOODMAN: Minnesota Congressmember Ilhan Omar, who just won her primary, and several other congressmembers are denouncing plans by the Trump administration to invest $1 billion over the next three years in a hydropower project in Honduras plagued by accusations of corruption and human rights violations. And this goes to President Trump’s support for the president right now, who is attacking the five Garífuna leaders who have been abducted, Carla Garcia. Can you talk about the connections you see?
CARLA GARCIA: The land that we preserve is rich. It’s rich. And it’s the same thing that the land that the Indigenous communities in Honduras — or across America, because if you see what has happened to the Garífuna community, it’s happened across America to all Indigenous and Black communities. Why? Because we live in common union with the Mother Nature. We take care of the Mother Nature. We don’t take away from the Mother Nature what we don’t need. So, now they — everybody needs our rivers. Everybody needs our land, our sea. Everything that we have to live is supposed to go to other people.
I want to pay — I want you to pay close attention to the letter that the congressmen sent, because the U.S. is facing the immigration situation. Why do you think the people is immigrating from Honduras in this scale? Why the Garífuna community is coming in caravans to United States? Because the government of Honduras has taken away everything that they have and all opportunities for the next generation. If the money goes from the United States to Honduras to invest and continue taking away what the community needs to continue living, people will continue coming to United States. So this is a problem that we need to cut from the root. If not, our people will come to this country to suffer, to wait, to be treated as a criminal, as they are being treated in their own country.
AMY GOODMAN: Carla Garcia, we want to thank you so much for being with us. Of course, we will continue to follow this very grave issue in Honduras. Carla Garcia is international relations coordinator at the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras.
All week, Democracy Now! will be breaking with convention as we cover the Democratic National Convention, which virtually begins this evening. We’ll bring highlights of the speeches of everyone from Bernie Sanders tonight and Michelle Obama and others.
That does it for today show. Democracy Now! is produced with Mike Burke, Renée Feltz, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, Carla Wills, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Adriano Contreras. I’m Amy Goodman. Stay safe. Wear a mask. Thanks.


democracynow--2020-08-17--"We Have to Expand the Squad": Cori Bush on Her Upset Primary Win, Defunding Police & Kamala Harris

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
We are breaking with convention .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , as we turn to one of the growing number of young Black progressives likely headed to Congress this November .
Cori Bush won a stunning primary upset earlier this month over 10-term incumbent Congressmember William Lacy Clay , whose family has represented the St. Louis-area congressional district for more than 50 years .
Cori Bush is a single mother and a nurse .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2014 Ferguson uprising over the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown .
Just two months before Michael Brown ’ s death , her primary opponent , Congressman Lacy Clay , then Missouri ’ s representative , voted against a Democratic amendment that would stop the military from providing police forces with heavy weapons and vehicles .
She was endorsed by the Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement .
Senator Bernie Sanders was the only member of Congress to endorse her ahead of the election , and her grassroots campaign shunned corporate PAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But she had an army of supporters who made half a million calls and knocked on 25,000 doors .
This is Cori Bush addressing supporters after her primary victory August 5th .
AMY GOODMAN : Yes , that ’ s Cori Bush speaking through her purple face mask — she is a nurse , after all — on primary night , and joining us now from St. Louis .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
, Cori Bush .
It ’ s great to have you with us .
Can you talk about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clay in 2018 .
You narrowly lost , but you were back at it again and won .
CORI BUSH : Yes .
I mean , for — thank you for having me on .
Look , this thing was an effort from people all across our district , across the state of Missouri and across the country .
You know , we believed that it ’ s time for a change , it ’ s time for an active leader , someone who knows the streets , someone who knows the struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , especially with COVID-19 and how this devastated communities .
And then , with the protests , you know , with me being a nurse and me being someone who has come out of the protest movement , you know , it ’ s time for that voice .
AMY GOODMAN : Are you for defunding the police ?
And what does that mean to you ?
CORI BUSH : I am for defunding the police .
And for me , it ’ s a reallocation of funds ; doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to pay their bills and to pay their salaries .
It doesn ’ t mean that they won ’ t be funded .
What it means is that there won ’ t be areas of overfunding while we have areas of underfunding in other places , such as making sure that there is money for human services in our community , money for social programs , money for health and hospitals .
When COVID-19 hit our community , you know , our unhoused population , they weren ’ t in a position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for properly .
And then , also , what about — why do our police officers have to be social workers , instead of paying social workers ?
We have people that go to school for that type of work .
Why don ’ t we have more social workers ?
And we don ’ t need money for tear gas .
We don ’ t need money for rubber bullets and bear mace and all of that .
We don ’ t need to stockpile SWAT gear .
We need to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so , that ’ s one way of doing it .
AMY GOODMAN : You talk about all the militarization of the police .
We certainly saw that in Ferguson , which was seminal — AMY GOODMAN : — in your rise as an activist .
Can you talk about that ?
I mean , you live right near where Michael Brown was gunned down .
CORI BUSH : Yes .
And you know what ?
This is — the thing is , you know , I had seen — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it was kind of like this thing is over with , like , you know , like you ’ re free now , do whatever you want , you know ?
But then , the reality was , that wasn ’ t true .
And when we saw this 18-year-old — my son is 20 .
When we saw this — so I ’ m calling Michael Brown a baby .
When we saw this 18-year-old baby lying in the street for four-and-a-half hours in the hot St. Louis sun uncovered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he deserved justice , and we couldn ’ t get it ?
You know , so , yeah , we took to the streets .
And there was no playbook before that said , “ Hey , this is what you do if this happens in your community during your time.
” You know , we showed up , and we reacted .
And we wanted — we kept that thing going .
We protested more than 400 days .
Look , people were beaten .
You know , like I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rubber bullets , real bullets were flying .
But we kept coming back .
I myself was assaulted by police during that time , not being a violent person .
You know , me personally , I ’ m nonviolent .
I ’ m not peaceful , but I ’ m not violent .
But violent came back at me .
But , you know , we stood .
And we stood in 2017 after the verdict from Jason Stockley after the murder of Anthony Lamar Smith in St. Louis , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor and so many others .
We continue to stand because Black lives have to matter in this country .
And the only way that that shows — one way that that shows is when we have equity and when we have our police treating Black people the same way that other people in this country are treated .
We deserve respect and dignity .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to ask you about the Democratic ticket .
Briahna Joy Gray , the former national press secretary for Bernie Sanders 2020 , tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the midst of the largest protest movement in American history , the subject of which is excessive policing , and the Democratic Party chose a 'top cop ' and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump .
The contempt for the base is , wow.
” Your thoughts both on Senator Harris being chosen to be the VP nominee and Joe Biden himself , Cori Bush ?
CORI BUSH : Yeah , so , you know , that was , Joe Biden had the — you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he chose her .
Now , what I ’ ve said before , I ’ m not going to tear down another woman of color .
You know , I won ’ t be party to that .
But I can ’ t overlook her past .
And , you know , she has evolved in some ways , and so I applaud her for that .
But we can ’ t forget about the people that were hurt along the way , people that — so , our incarcerated community , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what about our single parents and our unhoused communities , that have gone through so many things because of decisions that she has made ?
So , I can ’ t just overlook that , because I ’ m one of those people .
I may not have been under — you know , living in California , but I ’ ve gone through so many of those things myself , so I can ’ t — you know , you can ’ t just leave us bleeding in the street , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else has figured it out , you know ?
So what do we do for those people ?
So I ’ m standing with those people .
I do applaud her , though , for her success .
You know , all the young girls and all our elder women that are looking , saying , “ Finally we have somebody that could possibly be going into the VP spot , ” you know , we honor that .
But we won ’ t leave behind people that needed that voice at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be here for them .
And as far as Joe Biden , you know , that ’ s the person who became the Democratic nominee , the presumptive nominee , so that ’ s who we ’ re going to rock with .
And I ’ m saying “ rock with.
” You know , we have to get Donald Trump out .
And the thing is , is all of those people that — those different groups that I just named , we ’ re also groups of people that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of another four years , because he ’ s been wiling out .
He ’ s been doing whatever he wanted to do , basically , for the last four years .
So , what can we expect with four more ?
It ’ ll be worse .
AMY GOODMAN : You mentioned the unhoused population .
You yourself were homeless .
You also came down with COVID-19 , not once , but twice ?
Quickly tell us about what brought you here , how you got here , your history .
CORI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew up in a household that my father ’ s been in politics for most of my life — love my dad , you know .
But I saw so many things , so much corruption and things just coming at him as he was trying to serve the community .
So I said I would never do politics ; went into ministry , and went through so many things just personally — sexual assault , domestic violence , being a low-wage worker .
Being a low-wage worker , I was also uninsured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At one point I was unhoused with two babies , you know , mixing formula in a fast-food restaurant bathroom .
But I kept going .
There was somebody who said , “ Cori , this is a way .
This is a way to help .
What can I do ?
” And so I was able to come out of some of those situations .
And so I want to be able to give that back and help other people , because there was somebody that helped me .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not the work necessarily that was being done that I felt could have been done through legislation .
It was just people reaching out .
And so , now I ’ m here to say , “ Look , somebody helped me , so let me be that someone to help someone else.
” But I will not sit by and be quiet while we have these systems of injustice going on in our communities .
And so , if people want me to tear something down , I ’ ll tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial — racist systems .
AMY GOODMAN : What do you want to hear , Cori Bush , from your party ’ s convention this week , that begins tonight ?
CORI BUSH : First of all , I wish I was hearing that we had — you know , I wish Medicare for All was on the platform .
It ’ s sad that it ’ s not , because my patients died — AMY GOODMAN : You ’ ve been without health insurance when you were running for Congress ?
CORI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance right now , and even when I went through my COVID-19 situation .
You know , that lasted me two months .
I was hospitalized twice , you know , and my bills are stacking up right now .
And so , we have to do better for our people .
You know , we can ’ t — when 33 % of people can ’ t get the resources that they need for healthcare , when we know that 60,000 people could die a year not having healthcare , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to me .
And how do we build equity , how do we build racial equity , without addressing that and addressing it properly ?
So I would have loved to hear that .
But I would also love to hear , “ You know what ?
We may not have it all together right now , but let us get into the seat , and we ’ re going to start having these conversations and doing some things differently .
We hear you.
” That ’ s what I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve made some changes as far as the climate crisis in that platform .
We ’ ve made some changes in other places .
Yes , we want to make sure that we stand with the Voting Rights Act and all of that .
Absolutely , I do stand with those things .
But we can not allow people to die .
AMY GOODMAN : Cori Bush , I want to thank you so much for being with us , a nurse , Black Lives Matter activist , who defeated 10-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month in Missouri ’ s 1st Congressional District .
Clay and his father Bill Clay have been congressmembers representing that area since 1969 .
Cori Bush is a formerly unhoused woman who helped lead protests in Ferguson after the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown , her story featured in the award-winning Netflix documentary Knock Down the House , along with AOC .
And as we go to the next segment , very quickly , Cori , I wanted to ask you — you ’ ve said you want to expand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Squad being , of course , Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar — both of them were just reelected in their primaries — AOC , of course , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , and Ayanna Pressley , who ’ s facing a primary in Massachusetts .
CORI BUSH : Yes , we have to expand the Squad .
We ’ re bringing a different flavor .
We ’ re bringing our progressive values .
And we ’ re standing on what we believe .
And we ’ re bringing our experiences .
We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the people in our districts are facing , and it ’ s happening all around the country .
I remember what it was like to have a shutoff , just a year ago , you know , utility shutoff .
I remember what it ’ s like to be evicted .
Those things are very close to me , and so I ’ m going to fight .
And that ’ s why we have to expand the Squad .
We have been in these situations that so many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
AMY GOODMAN : Cori Bush , thanks so much .
And we ’ re going to be checking back with you .
CORI BUSH : Thank you .
Thank you .
AMY GOODMAN : Next , we go to Honduras , where five Afro-Indigenous Garífuna land defenders were kidnapped last month , haven ’ t been seen since .
Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for land and environmental defenders .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! We are breaking with convention. I’m Amy Goodman, as we turn to one of the growing number of young Black progressives likely headed to Congress this November. Cori Bush won a stunning primary upset earlier this month over 10-term incumbent Congressmember William Lacy Clay, whose family has represented the St. Louis-area congressional district for more than 50 years.
Cori Bush is a single mother and a nurse. She was formerly homeless, was a leader in the 2014 Ferguson uprising over the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Just two months before Michael Brown’s death, her primary opponent, Congressman Lacy Clay, then Missouri’s representative, voted against a Democratic amendment that would stop the military from providing police forces with heavy weapons and vehicles. She was endorsed by the Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement. Senator Bernie Sanders was the only member of Congress to endorse her ahead of the election, and her grassroots campaign shunned corporate PAC money in favor of individual donations. But she had an army of supporters who made half a million calls and knocked on 25,000 doors.
This is Cori Bush addressing supporters after her primary victory August 5th.
CORI BUSH: Almost six years ago to this day, Mike Brown was murdered, murdered by the police in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. I was maced and beaten by those same police officers in those same streets. Six months from now, as the first Black congresswoman in the entire history of Missouri, I will be holding every single one of them accountable. … This summer, after George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Nina Pop and so many more were taken from us, millions of people have taken to the streets around the world to join us, to join those who have said, for years, starting in this place, that Black lives matter.
AMY GOODMAN: Yes, that’s Cori Bush speaking through her purple face mask — she is a nurse, after all — on primary night, and joining us now from St. Louis.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Cori Bush. It’s great to have you with us. Can you talk about this incredible upset? You had challenged Congressmember Clay in 2018. You narrowly lost, but you were back at it again and won.
CORI BUSH: Yes. I mean, for — thank you for having me on. Look, this thing was an effort from people all across our district, across the state of Missouri and across the country. You know, we believed that it’s time for a change, it’s time for an active leader, someone who knows the streets, someone who knows the struggle of what’s happening in our country, especially with COVID-19 and how this devastated communities. And then, with the protests, you know, with me being a nurse and me being someone who has come out of the protest movement, you know, it’s time for that voice.
AMY GOODMAN: Are you for defunding the police? And what does that mean to you?
CORI BUSH: I am for defunding the police. And for me, it’s a reallocation of funds; doesn’t mean the police won’t have money to pay their bills and to pay their salaries. It doesn’t mean that they won’t be funded. What it means is that there won’t be areas of overfunding while we have areas of underfunding in other places, such as making sure that there is money for human services in our community, money for social programs, money for health and hospitals. When COVID-19 hit our community, you know, our unhoused population, they weren’t in a position to be able to really be cared for properly.
And then, also, what about — why do our police officers have to be social workers, instead of paying social workers? We have people that go to school for that type of work. Why don’t we have more social workers? And we don’t need money for tear gas. We don’t need money for rubber bullets and bear mace and all of that. We don’t need to stockpile SWAT gear. We need to make sure that people have their needs met. And so, that’s one way of doing it.
AMY GOODMAN: You talk about all the militarization of the police. We certainly saw that in Ferguson, which was seminal —
CORI BUSH: Yes.
AMY GOODMAN: — in your rise as an activist. Can you talk about that? I mean, you live right near where Michael Brown was gunned down.
CORI BUSH: Yes. And you know what? This is — the thing is, you know, I had seen — I grew up watching civil rights footage, and it was kind of like this thing is over with, like, you know, like you’re free now, do whatever you want, you know? But then, the reality was, that wasn’t true. And when we saw this 18-year-old — my son is 20. When we saw this — so I’m calling Michael Brown a baby. When we saw this 18-year-old baby lying in the street for four-and-a-half hours in the hot St. Louis sun uncovered, you know, and just the idea that he deserved justice, and we couldn’t get it? You know, so, yeah, we took to the streets.
And there was no playbook before that said, “Hey, this is what you do if this happens in your community during your time.” You know, we showed up, and we reacted. And we wanted — we kept that thing going. We protested more than 400 days. Look, people were beaten. You know, like I said before, tear gas, mace, rubber bullets, real bullets were flying. But we kept coming back. I myself was assaulted by police during that time, not being a violent person. You know, me personally, I’m nonviolent. I’m not peaceful, but I’m not violent. But violent came back at me. But, you know, we stood.
And we stood in 2017 after the verdict from Jason Stockley after the murder of Anthony Lamar Smith in St. Louis, and then also again for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and so many others. We continue to stand because Black lives have to matter in this country. And the only way that that shows — one way that that shows is when we have equity and when we have our police treating Black people the same way that other people in this country are treated. We deserve respect and dignity.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to ask you about the Democratic ticket. Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for Bernie Sanders 2020, tweeted last week, “We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a 'top cop' and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump. The contempt for the base is, wow.” Your thoughts both on Senator Harris being chosen to be the VP nominee and Joe Biden himself, Cori Bush?
CORI BUSH: Yeah, so, you know, that was, Joe Biden had the — you know, it was his pick, and he chose her. Now, what I’ve said before, I’m not going to tear down another woman of color. You know, I won’t be party to that. But I can’t overlook her past. And, you know, she has evolved in some ways, and so I applaud her for that. But we can’t forget about the people that were hurt along the way, people that — so, our incarcerated community, our Latinx community. And, you know, what about our single parents and our unhoused communities, that have gone through so many things because of decisions that she has made? So, I can’t just overlook that, because I’m one of those people. I may not have been under — you know, living in California, but I’ve gone through so many of those things myself, so I can’t — you know, you can’t just leave us bleeding in the street, and now everything is great because somebody else has figured it out, you know? So what do we do for those people? So I’m standing with those people. I do applaud her, though, for her success. You know, all the young girls and all our elder women that are looking, saying, “Finally we have somebody that could possibly be going into the VP spot,” you know, we honor that. But we won’t leave behind people that needed that voice at that time, so I’m going to be here for them.
And as far as Joe Biden, you know, that’s the person who became the Democratic nominee, the presumptive nominee, so that’s who we’re going to rock with. And I’m saying “rock with.” You know, we have to get Donald Trump out. And the thing is, is all of those people that — those different groups that I just named, we’re also groups of people that will be hurt more under a Trump administration of another four years, because he’s been wiling out. He’s been doing whatever he wanted to do, basically, for the last four years. So, what can we expect with four more? It’ll be worse.
AMY GOODMAN: You mentioned the unhoused population. You yourself were homeless. You also came down with COVID-19, not once, but twice? Quickly tell us about what brought you here, how you got here, your history.
CORI BUSH: Yeah. So, I grew up in a household that my father’s been in politics for most of my life — love my dad, you know. But I saw so many things, so much corruption and things just coming at him as he was trying to serve the community. So I said I would never do politics; went into ministry, and went through so many things just personally — sexual assault, domestic violence, being a low-wage worker. Being a low-wage worker, I was also uninsured, had times when I was unhoused. At one point I was unhoused with two babies, you know, mixing formula in a fast-food restaurant bathroom.
But I kept going. There was somebody who said, “Cori, this is a way. This is a way to help. What can I do?” And so I was able to come out of some of those situations. And so I want to be able to give that back and help other people, because there was somebody that helped me. But it was not our congressperson. It was not the work necessarily that was being done that I felt could have been done through legislation. It was just people reaching out.
And so, now I’m here to say, “Look, somebody helped me, so let me be that someone to help someone else.” But I will not sit by and be quiet while we have these systems of injustice going on in our communities. And so, if people want me to tear something down, I’ll tear down corruption and greed and injustice and racial — racist systems.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you want to hear, Cori Bush, from your party’s convention this week, that begins tonight?
CORI BUSH: First of all, I wish I was hearing that we had — you know, I wish Medicare for All was on the platform. It’s sad that it’s not, because my patients died —
AMY GOODMAN: You’ve been without health insurance when you were running for Congress?
CORI BUSH: I’m without health insurance right now, and even when I went through my COVID-19 situation. You know, that lasted me two months. I was hospitalized twice, you know, and my bills are stacking up right now. And so, we have to do better for our people. You know, we can’t — when 33% of people can’t get the resources that they need for healthcare, when we know that 60,000 people could die a year not having healthcare, that’s important. And it’s important to me. And how do we build equity, how do we build racial equity, without addressing that and addressing it properly? So I would have loved to hear that.
But I would also love to hear, “You know what? We may not have it all together right now, but let us get into the seat, and we’re going to start having these conversations and doing some things differently. We hear you.” That’s what I want to hear: “We hear you.” We’ve made some changes as far as the climate crisis in that platform. We’ve made some changes in other places. Yes, we want to make sure that we stand with the Voting Rights Act and all of that. Absolutely, I do stand with those things. But we cannot allow people to die.
AMY GOODMAN: Cori Bush, I want to thank you so much for being with us, a nurse, Black Lives Matter activist, who defeated 10-term Congressmember Lacy Clay in the Democratic primary earlier this month in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. Clay and his father Bill Clay have been congressmembers representing that area since 1969. Cori Bush is a formerly unhoused woman who helped lead protests in Ferguson after the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, her story featured in the award-winning Netflix documentary Knock Down the House, along with AOC. And as we go to the next segment, very quickly, Cori, I wanted to ask you — you’ve said you want to expand the Squad?
CORI BUSH: Yes, absolutely.
AMY GOODMAN: The Squad being, of course, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar — both of them were just reelected in their primaries — AOC, of course, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley, who’s facing a primary in Massachusetts.
CORI BUSH: Yes, we have to expand the Squad. We’re bringing a different flavor. We’re bringing our progressive values. And we’re standing on what we believe. And we’re bringing our experiences. We’re not so far removed from the things that the rest of the people in our districts are facing, and it’s happening all around the country. I remember what it was like to have a shutoff, just a year ago, you know, utility shutoff. I remember what it’s like to be evicted. Those things are very close to me, and so I’m going to fight. And that’s why we have to expand the Squad. We have been in these situations that so many people have faced recently. It’s time.
AMY GOODMAN: Cori Bush, thanks so much. And we’re going to be checking back with you.
CORI BUSH: Thank you. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: Next, we go to Honduras, where five Afro-Indigenous Garífuna land defenders were kidnapped last month, haven’t been seen since. Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for land and environmental defenders. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-08-17--"I Cannot Vote for This Platform": Rep. Ro Khanna on Why Democrats Must Support Medicare for All

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : The DNC , Democratic National Convention , officially kicks off tonight with a focus on the coronavirus pandemic , the economic downturn , the national uprising to demand racial justice .
The lineup includes speeches from former first lady Michelle Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders , as well as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo , Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser .
Joe Biden will also speak in a short video about racial justice .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no Muslim speakers in the DNC ’ s primetime lineup this week , and only a handful of Latinx voices .
There are a number of Republicans ; John Kasich will be speaking tonight .
Congressman Khanna , you published a column on Common Dreams titled “ Why I Am Voting No on the Democratic Party Platform.
” You write , “ History teaches us that the Democratic Party has sometimes faced an issue so great that it alone should be the yardstick for measuring the wisdom of voting for or against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those times .
… I believe that moving away from a profit-based healthcare system is the moral issue of our time .
And in the final analysis , because of that belief , I could not vote for a platform that lacks a clear statement supporting Medicare for All.
” Explain .
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump , but I can not vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people lose their jobs .
They should not lose their healthcare .
This , to me , is about basic dignity .
How can you say that a person ’ s healthcare should be tied to whether they have a job or their employment ?
This was part of our platform until 1980 .
It was stripped during the Reagan revolution .
If we can ’ t come around and say we are for Medicare for All in a time of a pandemic , I don ’ t know when we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very proud that hundreds of delegates are going to vote against this platform , while supporting Joe Biden .
And I think that ’ s a great strength of the Democratic Party , that you can have intellectual dissent and yet have a common goal .
AMY GOODMAN : There is interesting language on Medicare for All .
It says , “ We are proud our party welcomes advocates who want to build on and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and those who support a Medicare for All approach ; all are critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human right.
” Do you think that if Biden were to win , although he has adamantly said he ’ s opposed to Medicare for All , the movements for Medicare for All — I mean , the polls show most people support this — could change him ?
Kamala Harris has gone back and forth on this .
She said — she co-sponsored the Medicare for All bill .
REP. RO KHANNA : I do think it can change him , and especially if people who look at Bernie Sanders ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-year transition .
I mean , Bernie Sanders isn ’ t saying go to Medicare for All in one year ; he ’ s saying let ’ s extend it to 55 , then 45 , then 35 .
There ’ s a carve-out for unions .
So , I think what is very possible , if we continue to advocate , that we can get the president , Biden , on year one , to say let ’ s extend it at least to 55 or 50 , and then make progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this activism is so important .
AMY GOODMAN : Let me ask you about the DNC platform committee members overwhelmingly voting against proposed language that would oppose illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and support conditioning U.S. aid if Israel moves toward annexation of the West Bank .
Your thoughts on this ?
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , I think we needed to make it very clear that those settlements are illegal , that any annexation is illegal .
And in the past , again , there has been always the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we aren ’ t going to provide aid to Israel when it contradicts our policy interests or human rights .
We did this — I mean , Reagan did this when Israel bombed Iraq .
There was a restriction on aid .
Other presidents have done it .
George Bush Sr. did it on loan guarantees .
So , this is not something far out from our party ’ s tradition .
And I do think there needs to be a clear statement on Palestinian rights .
I think we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement .
I mean , it ’ s a good thing anytime countries are at peace , but that can not be at the expense of Palestinian rights .
UAE , as you know , has been responsible , in part , for the Yemen bombing .
And there has to be clarity that there ’ s no annexation , and clarity that both countries are going to be recognizing Palestinian rights .
Palestinians can ’ t be the collateral damage of great power politics in the Middle East .
AMY GOODMAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill that would make free masks available to all .
You also have written a letter , along with Congressman Adam Schiff , to the leadership , requesting mask-related provisions in any COVID-19 pandemic relief package .
Explain .
REP. RO KHANNA : The data is so clear that mask usage will help prevent the spread of coronavirus .
And we ’ ve seen in other countries where there have had — where there have been universal masks , in Taiwan , in South Korea , they have done very well in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we are saying is we should be giving every person who wants them masks .
This is our responsibility .
When I go vote in the United States Congress , they give me a mask .
Why can ’ t every worker who ’ s doing that have that option ?
It , A , serves as a reminder to them about the importance , and , B , it makes sure that they have these masks if they ’ re doing jobs that are putting them at risk .
AMY GOODMAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new VP , the presumptive VP nominee , from your state , California , she is also , like you , Indian American , as well as African American , Caribbean American .
Your thoughts ?
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , it ’ s a matter of great pride .
I mean , her story is so inspiring .
Her mother , an immigrant from India .
My parents were immigrants .
And the fact that she could , through sheer hard work and public service , rise up and today be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States is inspirational .
And it is a glimpse into our multiracial , multiethnic future — a total difference than Donald Trump .
I will say one thing on the total obliviousness to history that Donald Trump and people there have shown .
I mean , Trump ’ s favorite president is Andrew Jackson , who has a very checkered history and record .
But Jackson was the son of two immigrants .
His brothers were born in foreign countries .
So , to be attacking Kamala Harris is not just racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American history .
AMY GOODMAN : Ro Khanna , we want to thank you so much for being with us , Democratic congressmember from California , member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform .
Next , we are going to speak with a formerly homeless African American Black Lives Matter activist .
Her name is Cori Bush .
She just won the Democratic primary in Missouri after defeating 10-term Congressmember Lacy Clay in a major primary upset in St. Louis .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: The DNC, Democratic National Convention, officially kicks off tonight with a focus on the coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn, the national uprising to demand racial justice. The lineup includes speeches from former first lady Michelle Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders, as well as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. Joe Biden will also speak in a short video about racial justice. This comes as The Daily Beast reports there are no Muslim speakers in the DNC’s primetime lineup this week, and only a handful of Latinx voices. There are a number of Republicans; John Kasich will be speaking tonight.
Congressman Khanna, you published a column on Common Dreams titled “Why I Am Voting No on the Democratic Party Platform.” You write, “History teaches us that the Democratic Party has sometimes faced an issue so great that it alone should be the yardstick for measuring the wisdom of voting for or against the platform. This is one of those times. … I believe that moving away from a profit-based healthcare system is the moral issue of our time. And in the final analysis, because of that belief, I could not vote for a platform that lacks a clear statement supporting Medicare for All.” Explain.
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but I cannot vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right.
I mean, we’ve seen millions of people lose their jobs. They should not lose their healthcare. This, to me, is about basic dignity. How can you say that a person’s healthcare should be tied to whether they have a job or their employment? This was part of our platform until 1980. It was stripped during the Reagan revolution. If we can’t come around and say we are for Medicare for All in a time of a pandemic, I don’t know when we will.
And so, I’m very proud that hundreds of delegates are going to vote against this platform, while supporting Joe Biden. And I think that’s a great strength of the Democratic Party, that you can have intellectual dissent and yet have a common goal.
AMY GOODMAN: There is interesting language on Medicare for All. It says, “We are proud our party welcomes advocates who want to build on and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and those who support a Medicare for All approach; all are critical to ensuring that health care is a human right.” Do you think that if Biden were to win, although he has adamantly said he’s opposed to Medicare for All, the movements for Medicare for All — I mean, the polls show most people support this — could change him? Kamala Harris has gone back and forth on this. She said — she co-sponsored the Medicare for All bill.
REP. RO KHANNA: I do think it can change him, and especially if people who look at Bernie Sanders’s plan realize that it’s a four-year transition. I mean, Bernie Sanders isn’t saying go to Medicare for All in one year; he’s saying let’s extend it to 55, then 45, then 35. There’s a carve-out for unions. So, I think what is very possible, if we continue to advocate, that we can get the president, Biden, on year one, to say let’s extend it at least to 55 or 50, and then make progress from there. And that is why this activism is so important.
AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you about the DNC platform committee members overwhelmingly voting against proposed language that would oppose illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and support conditioning U.S. aid if Israel moves toward annexation of the West Bank. Your thoughts on this?
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, I think we needed to make it very clear that those settlements are illegal, that any annexation is illegal. And in the past, again, there has been always the American president’s ability to say that we aren’t going to provide aid to Israel when it contradicts our policy interests or human rights. We did this — I mean, Reagan did this when Israel bombed Iraq. There was a restriction on aid. Other presidents have done it. George Bush Sr. did it on loan guarantees. So, this is not something far out from our party’s tradition.
And I do think there needs to be a clear statement on Palestinian rights. I think we need to speak out more clearly with the UAE-Israel agreement. I mean, it’s a good thing anytime countries are at peace, but that cannot be at the expense of Palestinian rights. UAE, as you know, has been responsible, in part, for the Yemen bombing. And there has to be clarity that there’s no annexation, and clarity that both countries are going to be recognizing Palestinian rights. Palestinians can’t be the collateral damage of great power politics in the Middle East.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressman Khanna, you are calling for a bill that would make free masks available to all. You also have written a letter, along with Congressman Adam Schiff, to the leadership, requesting mask-related provisions in any COVID-19 pandemic relief package. Explain.
REP. RO KHANNA: The data is so clear that mask usage will help prevent the spread of coronavirus. And we’ve seen in other countries where there have had — where there have been universal masks, in Taiwan, in South Korea, they have done very well in dealing with this pandemic.
So, what we are saying is we should be giving every person who wants them masks. This is our responsibility. When I go vote in the United States Congress, they give me a mask. Why can’t every worker who’s doing that have that option? It, A, serves as a reminder to them about the importance, and, B, it makes sure that they have these masks if they’re doing jobs that are putting them at risk.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Senator Harris, the new VP, the presumptive VP nominee, from your state, California, she is also, like you, Indian American, as well as African American, Caribbean American. Your thoughts?
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, it’s a matter of great pride. I mean, her story is so inspiring. Her mother, an immigrant from India. My parents were immigrants. And the fact that she could, through sheer hard work and public service, rise up and today be hopefully the next vice president of the United States is inspirational. And it is a glimpse into our multiracial, multiethnic future — a total difference than Donald Trump.
I will say one thing on the total obliviousness to history that Donald Trump and people there have shown. I mean, Trump’s favorite president is Andrew Jackson, who has a very checkered history and record. But Jackson was the son of two immigrants. His brothers were born in foreign countries. So, to be attacking Kamala Harris is not just racist, it actually displays an ignorance about American history.
AMY GOODMAN: Ro Khanna, we want to thank you so much for being with us, Democratic congressmember from California, member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Next, we are going to speak with a formerly homeless African American Black Lives Matter activist. Her name is Cori Bush. She just won the Democratic primary in Missouri after defeating 10-term Congressmember Lacy Clay in a major primary upset in St. Louis. Stay with us.