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ISIS Frees Captives; Boris Nemtsov Murdered; Standoff in DHS Budget; Boycotting the Netanyahu Speech; Interview with U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois

Aired February 28, 2015 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow, joining you from Atlanta. 4:00 Eastern. A lot to get to this hour.

We begin with the brutal extremist group ISIS doing something they usually never do, releasing hostages. An ISIS court, their own court in Syria reportedly has ordered 29 A Syrian Christian hostages to be freed. They were taken captive along with more than 200 others when ISIS overran a key town a few days ago.

Meanwhile four Canadian teenagers including this 18-year-old are believed to be the latest westerners to fall into ISIS's propaganda trap. The teens apparently flew from Montreal to Turkey in mid January. Their families did not notify police until two days later. It is not known where the girls are currently.

Joining me now from Washington, CNN global affairs analyst and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel James Reese. Thank you for being with me, colonel. We have a lot to talk about. Let's begin first with this. That ISIS's own court, its own judicial system, has ordered them to release 29, a minority of the more than 200 A Syrian Christians they took captive. How do you read that? Is this an attempt at gaining some sort of legitimacy?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Poppy, first off I'll believe it when I see it. Once they're released then I think we need to talk about what their motivation was. If they do release them, I believe most of their motivation will be to show their followers that they are attempting to show themselves as that Islamic state. Having the state aspects, having the judicial systems. But again we have to wait to see if they really go through with this promise.

HARLOW: Also, really troubling, these reports, right? These reports that these four teenagers from Canada may have flown from Montreal to Turkey, which we have seen as sort of the passageway for many into Syria. I was just in my home state of Minnesota this week reporting on members of the Somali community who had fallen into this ISIS propaganda trap and gone over to fight with ISIS. I wonder what you make of this latest news and if you think it just shows us how effective ISIS's propaganda frankly has become.

REESE: Yes, Poppy, I'll tell you. I have young daughters. And I worry about this as I watch their friends and I look at other young children around the world right now. A lot of them are reaching out. They're trying to find kind of a purpose. And really we've got this whole lifestyle of hey, 30 seconds and I want to be in the spotlight. I want to be part of these things. And ISIS, they're slick with their propaganda. You've got these young girls, they see the propaganda. One of the fighters they show is an Egyptian body builder. And he is a stud-looking guy.

HARLOW: Right.

REESE: These young girls look after him. But the thing that bothers me is, how does four girls from whether it's the U.S. or Heathrow somewhere, and their ending ticket is Istanbul after going through this now for six months. That to me has got to raise a red flag.

HARLOW: Of course it does. You have the director of National Intelligence James Clapper saying it's believed about 180 Americans, around that number have traveled to Syria. That's a pretty astonishing number. I do want to get your reaction on this next story developing this afternoon out of Egypt.

A court there ruling that Hamas, which governs neighboring Gaza, is to be deemed a terrorist organization. Putting that official title from Egypt on Hamas. Leaders from Hamas furious, vowing to appeal this ruling, claiming among other things that this Egyptian court has no jurisdiction in the matter. We haven't heard from the president of Egypt to this point on this. What's your reaction to the significance of this? Does it really matter whether that court labels Hamas a terrorist group?

REESE: Well, yes, it does. Everything matters in the Middle East, Poppy. But again, Hamas has been looked at as a terrorist group but they've also been looked at as trying to be diplomatic and trying to use the other elements of national power to try to bring some type of peace to the Middle East.

HARLOW: Right.

REESE: Again, we swing left and right which is so difficult. At the end of the day, if we're sitting around, around a table here it doesn't really matter what that Egyptian court says. But it will be interesting to see what President Sisi comes out with especially after what happened to the Egyptian Christians in Libya. Maybe this is a new turn to really start clamping down on some of this extremism.

HARLOW: I wonder if you think as you said Hamas has been viewed by some as having an ability unlike others to act as a negotiator if you will in the region. Do you think as our Ian Lee said last hour from Cairo this could be something that actually back fires on Egypt?

REESE: Yes, I mean, it could. Unfortunately a lot of these different diplomatic elements have a militant arm to them. And these militant arms are like firecrackers. Something sets them off and they go in a second and it's difficult.

HARLOW: Can we talk about that the militant armed brigades and the difference between that and the political arm? REESE: Yes. Poppy, for everyone watching what I try to do sometimes is try to put it in some type of semblance that we can understand back here. I look at years ago in Northern Ireland, the Christians and the Catholics were fighting each other. They had their political arms that would come here to the U.S. and speak in front of Congress. But you'd go to any Irish pub in New York or D.C. and people were passing the hats during those days. To support the militants that were fighting this war of Christianity. So i mean, it's a difficult process. I really believe that we continue to have to try to work the diplomatic aspects.

HARLOW: I just wonder if you think that this court should have looked at the sort of militant arm (INAUDIBLE) separately from the political arm of Hamas. When you talk about the importance of being a strategic negotiator in the region or do you think it should all be looked at as one entity?

REESE: No, I don't. I think you have to try to find like I said last time, you got to try to find some commonality. If the commonality is they have a diplomatic arm that is willing to talk and sit down at times, even though that negotiations can be very difficult at times, that's where we got to find the commonality. Yes, they have the militant arm. That militant arm can be deadly. But we have to try to find these fisions between that we can close.

HARLOW: Col. Reese, thank you for the expertise. Appreciate it. Good to have you on the program, as always.

Also, another top story for us this hour just yards from the Kremlin, one of President Vladimir Putin's loudest critics was forever silenced in a brazen murder late last night. We're talking about Boris Nemtsov. He was walking home with a female friend after dinner. He was shot in the back four times. President Putin vowing to find and severely punish his killer. Our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen has the latest now on this from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gunned down in the heart of Russia's capital. Investigators worked the crime scene where Boris Nemtsov's body lay on one of the main bridges across the (INAUDIBLE) River. Law enforcement officials say Nemtsov, one of Russia's most prominent opposition figure, was struck in the back by several bullets.

(on camera): The killing happened right next to the Kremlin walls and right in the vicinity of Saint Basil's Cathedral. Now, according to authorities, Boris Nemtsov was walking here with a friend when a car stopped and the assailant immediately opened fire.

(voice-over): As mourners laid flowers and lit candles, speculation who did it? Some blamed the government of Vladimir Putin. Others disagree.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: This is a street message to all of us. Hello you have the guy who works for you the best of your leader bam, bam, bam. Who will be the next?

UNIDENTIFED MALE: We have some small thought of in Russia people who want to break Putin. And maybe they make it to show as a people and as a country, government of country, how bad Putin.

PLEITGEN: It's not clear who is behind the killing, but Boris Nemtsov had many enemies. He was Russia's deputy prime minister in the late 90s but joined the opposition after Vladimir Putin came into power and was jailed several times for criticizing the government.

Vladimir Putin condemned Nemtsov's killing and offered the family his condolences. He also launched an investigation into the murder and said it bears all the hallmarks of a contract killing aimed at provoking unrest.

Ilya Yashin is a friend and political ally of Nemtsov. He was one of the first at the scene of the murder and strongly criticizes Russia's government.

ILYA YASHIN: I don't know who did the shooting or who pulled the trigger, but I strongly believe it's Russia's government and personally Vladimir Putin who is responsible for it. Vladimir Putin is responsible for creating the atmosphere of hatred in our country. They've incited hatred for all dissidents and for Boris Nemtsov. Nemtsov was set to take part in an opposition rally criticizing Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict this Sunday. Instead there will now be a march of mourning for one of Russia's most eloquent opposition voices brutally silenced forever.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Fred, thank you very much for that.

Coming up next, we're going to speak with a friend of Boris Nemtsov. We're going to talk about the reaction there in Moscow to this.

Also, next, Congress dodging one crisis but guess what lurching into another. What's going on in Washington? We'll discuss that as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: A one-time very highly-ranked Russian politician who publicly slammed Vladimir Putin over and over again was gunned down last night very close to the Kremlin. Right now police are hunting for his killer. We are talking about Boris Nemtsov. He spent decades pushing for democracy inside Russia. He was 55 years old.

Last night he was shot in the back four times in Moscow. My next guest was a friend of his Anna Veduta joins me now. I'm very sorry for your loss. Thank you for joining me.

ANNA VEDUTA, FRIEND OF BORIS NEMTSOV: Thank you.

HARLOW: You served as spokesperson for another leader of a Russian opposition movement. And I wonder knowing Nemtsov as a friend as someone in the same circles that you were in, did he fear for his life?

VEDUTA: You know, being a Russian opposition figure is always connected to the threat. And if you constantly think about - if you constantly focus on fear and think about the potential threat you won't be able to do anything. So no, he wasn't thinking about that. He was always very cheerful and very nice to people around him. Everyone loved him. He was always smiling. He did it in a very easy way. Though the burden which he carried on his shoulders wasn't that easy as it looked like.

HARLOW: I want you to take a listen to what he told our Anthony Bourdain in an interview last year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST (on camera): We're supposed to be dining at another restaurant this evening. When they heard that you would be joining me we were uninvited. Should I be concerned about having dinner with you?

BORIS NEMTSOV, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: This is a country of corruption. If you have business, you in a very unsafe situation. Everybody can press you and destroy your business. That's it. This is a system.

BOURDAIN: Critics of the government, critics of Putin. Bad things seem to happen to them.

NEMTSOV: Yes. Unfortunately, this represents Russia of 19th century, not of 21st.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Anna, this is someone who was really pushed out of his role in government back in 2003. But he continued to push on, right? In 2013 he released this big report on bribery and fraud under the administration in Russia. And he walked around with no bodyguards. It seems like he really knew the danger and pushed ahead regardless.

VEDUTA: Yes. That is true. And all the opposition figures right now in Russia do the same. We're talking about (INAUDIBLE) three years - he was constantly asked if he fears to be killed. Everyone told him he's going to be killed. But he never was afraid of that and pushed forward. There is no other way to defend your opinion in Russia right now.

HARLOW: What about the timing of it? This comes less than 48 hours before that opposition rally is set to take place.

VEDUTA: If someone told me two days ago that this is going to happen i would never believe that. No one in Russia would believe it and when this news came from Ilya Yashin posted it on his twitter, the first thought of everyone was his twitter was hacked. When we realized that this is true we realized that now we find ourself in a new political reality.

Whatever happen next, we're at war right now. Yes. Speaking about Simon, when you have one man rule in the country and when it's ruled by the person that's Putin, who is sitting in hatred and like ruling the state propaganda machine, you never can tell what's going to happen next. And to what extent. But this is basically the first political murder we face in 20 years in Russia.

HARLOW: Anna, can I ask you before I let you go. As someone a member of the opposition, someone who was a spokesperson for another opposition representative, do you believe this is going to silence some of those voices?

VEDUTA: I'm pretty sure that those people who are there now, they know for sure that Boris himself would like to us continue our fight and to fight for his beliefs and to voice our opinion regardless of that. So I'm pretty sure that everyone's going to stand up and it won't fear anyone. Though Putin is personally responsible for what is happening and for what happened to Boris himself, I'm pretty sure we will continue.

HARLOW: Just to point out, this is early going in the investigation. We do not know. We know at this point all that Putin has said is that he and his administration will hunt down whoever is responsible for this.

VEDUTA: Yes. But as we know from the previous cases like Magnitsky case or Anna Porokovska case this would mean nothing. By saying Putin is personally responsible. I say that he is responsible when sitting in hatred for ruling this propaganda machine and for bringing the country into the chaos in which such things like murdering the person in front of Kremlin under the numerous surveillance cameras and not finding the murderer in like 24 hours after though all the state agencies are somehow concentrated.

Lip service. They are concentrated on this investigation. Still there is no person found. I would say that he has - this is a responsibility of Putin.

HARLOW: We will be watching and bring the latest on the investigation as we have it. Anna Veduta, thank you for joining me. I appreciate it.

VEDUTA: Thank you so much.

HARLOW: Coming up next, Congress found a solution at the last minute to fund the Department of Homeland Security for a week. Seven days. After that, what happens? How can politicians confront our bigger problems when a crisis like this seems to happen far too often? We'll discuss next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: You are looking at live pictures of our nation's capitol, there on what is a beautiful Saturday afternoon. But it has been quite a fight in Washington. The standoff has been averted for now at least just hours before funding for the Department of Homeland Security was set to run out, the House approved an extension of the money. But guess what? That money runs out again on Friday. It's only a seven-day extension. It's sort of like groundhog day every day in Washington right now.

Let me bring in Republican strategist Tara Setmayer, also joining us CNN commentator L..Z Granderson. Sarah, let me begin with you. All right. You had almost all 50, you had almost all Democrats. I'm just looking at the numbers here. 50 Republicans voting no for what the Republicans have proposed a three-week extension on this funding. Then OK they settle on seven days. This a disaster!

TARA SETMAYER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, it's not as much of a disaster in practical terms as people might say. A lot of this is political theater. This whole thing about oh, my god, the doors are going to be locked on the Department of Homeland Security, no one's going to be watching what's going on in national security. That's a fallacy, OK?

The most important essential aspects of the Department of Homeland Security would continue to run. It's about whether there's funding or not but people would still be going to work. So that part of this was brilliant political theater by the other side to push the Republicans politically into a tough spot because they have to fight against a narrative of you're putting national security behind politics because you're upset with the president over immigration.

When the Republicans actually have a legitimate issue here with the president circumventing Congress and using executive orders to illegally put forth policy on immigration reform by giving work permits and things like that for illegal immigrants. That's the issue at hand here. So moving forward, politically this is a challenge because I don't know how we get to an end game here. But the Republicans are right on principle. Why the funding for what's going on here and what the president has done. They're right on that issue.

HARLOW: Here's why I say it's a disaster. It's a disaster that this happens in Washington over and over again. That we get to the brink and sometimes the government is shut down or we get to the brink and there's a one week extension, a fight over whether there should be a three-week extension. I think all Americans can agree that's not way we want our government to work whatever side of the aisle you're on.

Let me get you, L.Z. to weigh in on this. I want you to weigh in on what New York Congressman Peter King, a Republican, had to say on twitter about this. Let me put it up for you I'll read it to you "I've had it with the self-righteous delusional wing of the party which leads us over the cliff and then try to do the charge of the light brigade." What do you make of what Peter King has said here, a Republican coming out and saying this isn't the way to do it?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, he hasn't been the only one. Basically talking about the Tea Party. This has been the conversation in Washington in Congress basically since the tea party swept inside and said they were going to fight for the American people and fight for jobs. They have basically been fighting President Obama which is not the same thing. He's been voicing his frustration with the Tea Party wing and the leadership of the Tea Party for years.

But I want to go back to one theme that Tara said they thought was very insensitive at the very least, which is it might be true that it's political theater for the people in Washington. But for the men and women who are facing possibly going to work and not knowing whether they're going to be paid, that's not political theater. That's not very many Americans. Some of us sitting right here on television, that can go a week or two without a paycheck.

While it's true that in Washington in their bubble it's just a game. It's not a game for these men and women. That's the reason why we need to be more concerned and more upset about how they're impacting everyday Americans.

HARLOW: So did our viewers. Tara, I want you to respond. That's how our views understand what would happen if DHS weren't funded. You have about 30,000 "nonessential" employees furloughed. They wouldn't be coming to work until (INAUDIBLE). You have about 200,000 still going to work but not being paid until Congress sorts this out. Your response to what L.Z. said.

SETMAYER: In any instance like this, that's absolutely true that average folks need their paychecks and shouldn't have to be held hostage as some of the Democrats have used this language before to this. But they need to think after the president of the United States who has put this. They're the ones who have put these people in this situation, not the Republicans.

The Republicans offered to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security except for the parts that they felt which are illegal, a federal judge just ruled against what the Obama administration has done. So that's in limbo. But they're the ones that have done this. The Republicans have said we will fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.

HARLOW: But they won't do it without tying President Obama's executive order on immigration to it.

SETMAYER: That's the issue.

HARLOW: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, coming out, saying the House should abandon this, saying he doesn't think it's going to work.

SETMAYER: Well, we're going to see. That's why you have a legislative process. Anytime there has been a shutdown like this, there is always retroactive pay. No one has ever gone without not getting any pay. They do it retroactively. It affects my own family who works for DHS. But they understand that in situations like this, it was not the Republicans who have done this, it has been the Democrats and the president of the United States by acting unconstitutionally.

HARLOW: Let me get L.Z. to weigh in. Because frankly, L.Z., the power that Congress has is the power of the purse, right? This is Congress asserting and saying "look we believe what the president has done on immigration is illegal, is unconstitutional. We're going to use our power to make that heard." Your response to that. GRANDERSON: My response is that's basically setting the conversation

or the debate sort of in the middle or towards the end of where we are now. You really want to go towards the beginning. The question is why haven't we had immigration reform to begin with? The Senate passed a bipartisan bill almost two years ago now that Boehner refuses to have voted on in the House.

President Obama didn't do this in a bubble. It didn't happen in a vacuum. There is a very basic need that we need to address here in this country as it pertains to immigration. It's not just about the brown people, if you will, speaking across the border in Mexico. But it's also about intellectuals capital that we're losing because of these slow visas that are being issued. There's about the impact, the long-term impact on our economy, the fact there are companies that are trying to hire qualified people that they cannot find and then maybe the people who are educated here who then go back home can actually stay here. It's an immigration issue. And why that bill hasn't been voted on -

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: L.Z., what I'm asking even if you don't agree with this do you think this is Congress asserting their right to use the power of the purse?

GRANDERSON: Well, Congress certainly has the right to use the power of the purse. The problem is that there are certain areas I would think that the party that says this president isn't serious about security that this president isn't serious about patrolling the border wouldn't pick the one department that handles those two issues. That's the reason they look like idiots is because they're accusing them of not being serious.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: L.Z., Tara, we are out of time. I'll let you guys keep talking about it on commercial break. We have a lot of other news to get to. I appreciate the discussion. It's an important one to have. Thank you both.

Coming up next, another political fight. The Israeli Prime Minister arriving tomorrow in Washington ahead of his speech to Congress. Today, he visited Jerusalem's western wall. Also released a statement trying to mend fences, possibly, with U.S. President Barack Obama. Saying in part quote, "On the eve of my travels to the U.S., I ask to come to the western wall. I would like to take this opportunity to say that I respect U.S. President Barack Obama. I believe in the strength of the relationship between Israel and the U.S. on its strength to overcome differences of opinion, those that were and those that will be."

Ahead, we will speak with one of the members of Congress who will not be attending Netanyahu's address. We'll find out why. That's next.

But first, focusing on ability not disability. That is the theme for this week's "Human Factor". Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story of a mom's refusal to accept her son's bleak diagnosis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With each note, Alex Mody defies expectations. You see, when he was just five months old, doctors told his mother something was wrong.

CARRIE MCGEE, SPECIAL NEEDS ADVOCATE: He really didn't sleep at all and had very bad colic, cried 24 hours a day. Doctors discovered a heart condition and that he had lost weight.

GUPTA: And further tests revealed a devastating diagnosis.

MCGEE: We were told he has this thing called Williams Syndrome.

GUPTA: It's a rare genetic disorder which can cause heart problems, developmental delays, learning disabilities.

She enrolled Alex in a public school and made sure he had much needed speech, physical and occupational therapies.

But Carrie also knew her son needed something more, and so did she, a place where families could find support.

So with some other moms, Carrie created that place. It's called Whole Children.

Alex will graduate from high school this year and wants to be a DJ.

ALEX MODY: I want people to think of me as a guy who has faced his fears.

MCGEE: I see what he brings to the world, which is an incredible gift. I'm just so proud of him.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Well, new developments today. We have heard from Israel's leader on the eve of his very controversial trip, frankly, to the United States. This from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, writing in a statement in part, "I respect U.S. President Barack Obama. I believe in the strength of the relationship between Israel and the U.S. on its strength to overcome differences of opinion."

Netanyahu's planned speech to Congress on Tuesday is the focus in Washington right now and it is challenging long-standing U.S. foreign policy. Netanyahu is expected to use his speech to criticize the White House's attempts to cut a deal with Iran on its nuclear program. That deal is strongly opposed by both Netanyahu and also Republican House Speaker John Boehner, who invited Netanyahu to address Congress. Important to note, the president, President Obama, and Netanyahu will not be meeting on this trip.

National Security Adviser Susan Rice calling this trip destructive to relations between the United States and Israel. At least four Democratic senators, more than two dozen Democratic House members say that they will boycott the speech. They're not going to go.

One woman who will not be there, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. She joins me now from Washington.

Thank you for being with me.

And let me begin with this -- you wrote a long statement on this. And you said, "As a Jew, support for Israel is in my DNA." But ultimately, you wrestled with this, you decided not to go. Why not just go and hear what the prime minister has to say?

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Well, I was deeply offended when Speaker of the House John Boehner decided without consulting with the president or the White House or with our Leader Pelosi to invite the prime minister of Israel to the most prestigious venue in the world, and to do it for purely political, partisan purposes.

Clearly, John Boehner has been trying for years to say that only Republicans are really the friends of the state of Israel, to divide the Congress along partisan lines. And two, to use this venue to undermine the president of the United States who is engaged in very sensitive negotiations to try and stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

Now, I'm going to hear what the prime minister has to say, you know? In the wonder of electronics, I'll be able to see every word and hear every word in my office. I won't miss that. But I did not want to sit in this chamber and help John Boehner achieve his political goals.

HARLOW: At the same time, politics aside if that is possible in Washington these days, when you look at where Netanyahu is coming from, this is someone who does not believe what Iran says period, who does not believe even if the U.S. manages to strike a deal on the nuclear negotiations with Iran that Iran will hold up his end of the bargain, someone who says that at all costs he is trying to protect his country.

Do you understand that and why he would want to come and address the lawmakers in the United States about that?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, first, let me say that the president of the United States is absolutely committed to having a nonnuclear weaponized Iran, has said it over and of again. And the idea that the prime minister, without an agreement being on the table, even seeing what those negotiations are finally going to result in, if they do -- and let's remember the president himself said a bad deal is worse than no deal.

We're not going to agree to anything that would -- let me say one thing. Trust is not part of this agreement. It's about strict inspections. It's about verifiable looks at what Iran is doing all the way. HARLOW: Congresswoman, let me show you some images just into us at

CNN. This is Prime Minister Netanyahu before he takes this trip to Washington, visiting the Western Wall. This comes as this statement is released.

I think it's interesting that he released this statement and he said, "I respect U.S. president Barack Obama." What do you make of this statement that he released? He didn't have to do that, right? He could have come and addressed Congress. What do you make of that?

SCHAKOWSKY: What I make of it is that he recognizes that if John Boehner achieves his political goals, that it's a bad thing for Israel. And that is, we have had bipartisan support all the way for the state of Israel. Now, to create a setting where the prime minister comes to directly criticize the policies of the president of the United States, it is not helpful to the bipartisan support, and even major leaders of former head of Mossad, the comparable to the CIA in Israel, has said that this is not helpful for the bipartisan relationship. Five previous ambassadors to the United States from Israel have said this is not a good idea.

And so, I think that what the prime minister is trying to do is smooth over something they think it's going to be very hard to really smooth over. A lot of Democrats will not be in the chamber.

HARLOW: You said Netanyahu can still change his mind and not address Congress. Very quickly before we go, do you think that that is still a possibility?

SCHAKOWSKY: No. When I wrote that piece, I thought maybe it would, because he was invited to meet in a classified setting with all the members to make his point -- anything other than this public statement to the world criticizing the president of the United States' policies, to try and have -- give negotiations a chance. Why wouldn't we? What's the alternative? Is it war?

The American people certainly aren't ready for that. And if we can control Iran, prevented from having nuclear weapons without a war, I say why not? And the prime minister I think will have a hard time making the case why not.

HARLOW: We will all be watching on Tuesday morning. Special coverage of that, of course, right here on CNN.

Congresswoman, thanks for being with me today. I appreciate it.

SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you.

HARLOW: Well, we've heard from the congresswoman. The question is, should other politicians skip the speech? What is the right strategy? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: All right. We're following the debate over Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to address Congress. It comes Tuesday morning. And it's a big deal, because he's the head of state for a staunch U.S. ally.

But this invitation came from the speaker of the House, not the president. In fact, Netanyahu is expected to use his speech to criticize the president in his push for a nuclear deal with Iran. Also worth noting, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu will not meet during this meeting.

Let's talk about these with CNN commentators L.Z. Granderson and also Tara Setmayer, also Republican strategist.

Let me begin with you, Tara. So, Prime Minister Netanyahu, we know his points. We know what he's going to say to Congress -- walk on the floor of the House and criticize U.S. foreign policy. Why is that a good idea?

TARA SETMAYER, CNN COMMENTATOR: No. What Netanyahu is going to do is he's going to lay out the case again as to why this deal that's on the table right now is a horrible deal, not only for the U.S. but for Israel. This is a terrible deal.

First of all, the United States has been negotiating from a position of weakness from the very beginning. We are actually capitulating to the global superpower of terrorism which is Iran. The Iranian regime has American blood on their hands. They are the number one sponsor of terror around the world. They are sponsoring terror activities in Yemen, in Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah. And what are we doing continuing to negotiate in good faith with these people? They are our enemies and they pose an existential threat to Israel.

So, Benjamin Netanyahu understands this. He is fighting for the livelihood and the protection of the Israeli people. We under no circumstances should be negotiating a deal that gives Iran any opportunity to obtain a nuclear weapon, which is exactly what this deal is doing. So, I don't blame him.

And shame on every one of those Democrats that have decided to put politics over maintaining our relationship with our ally, Israel. This is politics over principle. And it's obvious.

HARLOW: L.Z., if you're Benjamin Netanyahu, you're a leading of a country and you truly believe that your country is at grave risk, in grave danger, if Iran becomes a nuclear power. What's wrong with going to Congress and stating that opinion and asking for support?

NETANYAHU: Why doesn't he do that after his election? That's the question.

This is about him more than anything else. And I can't really tell -- I can't tell who's being played more, is it John Boehner or is it Netanyahu? Because, obviously, Boehner is doing this to dig at President Obama and Netanyahu is doing this to make sure he gets re- elected. We don't know -- very many of us don't know it over here right now, but there's an election happening in Israel. And he's in a very, very tight situation.

And so, this is about politics on both sides. If he truly, truly didn't want this to be about politics, his own personal politics, then he can come to the U.S. on John Boehner's invite after his own election. But he's doing it before the election because it makes good publicity and makes him look in a stronger light.

SETMAYER: It just so happens that the deadline for this deal is around the same time as the Israeli election. That was not Benjamin Netanyahu's choice. That is the way the negotiations have gone.

So, that's what the timing is about with that.

But also then why is the Obama administration --

(CROSSTALK)

SETMAYER: -- proclaiming their support for Israel and actively sending people over there to campaign for Netanyahu's opposition, for the person running against him? Because they don't want Netanyahu in there because they don't feel as though Iran presents the same threat to Israel.

And it's quite obvious. Why else would we be continuing to capitulate? There should be sanctions. Why do we -- why do we ease off on sanctions on Iran? We had them on their knees economically and gave them a pass.

They are -- you know who's being played here? The United States of America is being played. Iran is sitting back laughing at us, laughing at the weakness of the president of the United States because they know are going to get every single thing they want.

They're continuing their missile program. Why do you think that missile program is not even on the negotiating table? Why would they need ballistics missiles if they're not planning on using them -- developing a nuclear warhead? I mean, this is outrageous what's happening.

HARLOW: Guys, I got to jump in. We got to go. I wish we had a lot more time for this. We'll continue this --

GRANDERSON: Oh, come on. You got to let me respond to that. Oh, no.

HARLOW: Very quickly, L.Z., 20 seconds.

GRANDERSON: All right. I'll just say in 20 seconds, it's very difficult to continue to paint this president as anti-Israel when no one -- no other president has given more money to Israel in its defense. It's very difficult to say he's anti-Israel when he was the first president to use the veto in the U.N. when there was a policy on the table that was anti-Israel.

I keep hearing that he's anti-Israel while he keeps doing pro-Israel things. I think it's just a talking point.

HARLOW: L.Z., Tara, thank you very much.

SETMAYER: Absolutely not. HARLOW: Quick break. We're back in a moment.

GRANDERSON: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: It is a mystery that has eluded both Christians and non- Christians all over the world. What did Jesus look like? Is this the actual burial cloth of Jesus?

It is one of the questions explored in the new CNN series "Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery."

Let's bring in Father Edward Beck, host of "The Sunday Mass", also CNN religion commentator.

We're talking about the shroud of Turin. This is a fascinating premiere episode tomorrow night, I just saw it.

And I wonder what your take is, that the scientific debate over whether or not this is actually the cloth Jesus was wrapped in after being crucified or not. Does that matter at the heart of things?

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: It really doesn't, Poppy. It amazes me we're talking about faith here. Remember in the gospel when Thomas is not in the room with the other disciples when Jesus appears after the Resurrection. And he doubts it ever happened. Jesus reappears and says, OK, put your hands in my hands and in my feet and my wound. But blessed are those who have not seen and believed. So, it's about faith.

So, now, we're looking to have certainty at the Resurrection and article of faith --

HARLOW: Right.

BECK: -- when is there any faith needed if we can say with certain that this was the burial shroud of Jesus and the Resurrection?

HARLOW: Well, you know, many, many people as science has proved want science to match their faith, at least in some way. So, I can -- I think people can understand the curiosity here, right?

BECK: Oh, we can understand the curiosity because we're fascinated by Jesus. I mean, if we say he's lord and God, he's savior, and what he did and what he said. This is a man we emulate. Of course, we want to know more about him. People are fascinated by, what did he look like?

Well, you know what? We have no images of Jesus for the first number of centuries. No artistic depictions. It's not described in the gospel what he looked like because it didn't matter. What he did and said is what mattered, not what he looked like.

HARLOW: That said, I wonder if you are curious to see. I mean, I know you've read about the scientific work that has been done here, but it's fascinatingly laid out in this series. Are you at all curious even if you don't it, you have the faith?

BECK: I am curious. I watched it like you, Poppy. We were privilege to get a screener and watch it. And I think it's very well done.

And it's fascinating because of the controversy surrounding it. Of course, you know that it's carbon dated. And they did some tests on it to say, could this possibly be the real shroud? I won't give await results in case you haven't heard them or seen it yet.

But I think it's fascinating because we want to be close to the holy. That's what relics are about. It's not about proving something. This person matters to us. So, if we can touch something that touched this person we feel somehow connected to the holy. I think that is what is important about the shroud.

HARLOW: Father Beck, thank you. Good to have you on the program.

And for all of you watching, you're not going to want to miss it. It is fascinating. The premiere of the new CNN original series that talks about science and faith and how it all comes together. "Finding Jesus: Fact, Faith, Forgery", premiering tomorrow night 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.

Back in a moment.

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