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Netanyahu Says Israel Will Make Own Decisions on Iran Response; Hard-line Republicans Threaten to Oust Johnson Over Aid Bill; Johnson May Need Democratic Votes to Save His Job; House Passes Resolution Condemning "From the River to the Sea" Chants; USC Cites Safety Concerns in Canceling Muslim Valedictorian's Speech. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired April 17, 2024 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:31:49]

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR OF 'INSIDE POLITICS': As the world waits for Israel's response to Iran's massive missile and drone attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered this message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I thank our friends for their support for the defense of Israel and I say this, both support in words and support in actions. They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice. I appreciate it, but I want to make it clear. We will make our own decisions. And the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live in Tel Aviv. Jeremy, good to see you. The way I saw and read and interpreted those comments was that they were more directed for domestic political consumption in Israel, maybe than people abroad. What are you hearing from your sources there?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, no doubt about it, Dana. That is kind of Netanyahu's bread and butter, that signature defiance that he employs at moments where he is coming under enormous pressure both internationally as well as domestically. And this is certainly, in part at least, intended for a domestic political audience, for the right wing of his governing coalition, who has been putting enormous pressure on him to carry out a very significant retaliatory strike against Iran for that unprecedented attack that Iran carried out over the weekend.

It is also, of course, a message to allies to a certain extent that he will ultimately make his own decisions. But at the same time, Netanyahu is mindful of the fact that the United States, that so many of these other countries in the region assisted Israel in the successful aerial defense effort over the weekend, that succeeded in taking out 99 percent of those drones and missiles that were fired against Israel. And so, it certainly is part of the calculus for the Israeli prime minister, despite the bluster that he is talking about here, about Israel making its own decisions, there is certainly part of the calculus and part of the discussions in the war cabinet over the course of the last week has centered around how much does Israel need to take the United States and other allies' concerns into account.

And there is no question that Israel has been coming under significant pressure from the United States and those other countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany, whose foreign ministers are in Israel today, to -- if they do carry out a retaliatory strike, to ensure that it is measured and to ensure that it does not lead to an all-out war between Iran and Israel, something that would be very de-stabilizing, of course, for the entire region.

BASH: So you mentioned the prime minister's cabinet and his political allies. What about the people on the ground, his constituents broadly in Israel, what's the sentiment there?

DIAMOND: Well, it ties into what we are hearing from the United States too. I mean, President Biden's message to Netanyahu has been, look, take the win and there is certainly a feeling of a win here in Israel in terms of that successful aerial defense effort. And because of the success of that and how much the United States role really has been touted in Israeli media over the course of the last several days, the latest poll which was conducted over the last couple of days by Hebrew University finds that 74 percent of those polled believe that a retaliatory strike against Iran should not take place if it undermines Israel's security alliances with its allies.

[12:35:00]

DIAMOND: 26 percent were in favor of an attack, even if it were to damage ties with allies. So, it is less about whether or not Israel should respond, but how that response should be kind of framed within the context of those concerns by allies and certainly, in terms of the concerns being voiced by the United States. Dana?

BASH: OK, Jeremy, thank you so much for that reporting. Susan Glasser of the New Yorker is still with me. The other dynamic that we didn't even mention in my conversation with Jeremy, of course, is that Israel is still very much at war in Gaza. How much is that playing into what it is dealing with as it grapples with how to respond, if to respond to Iran?

SUSAN GLASSER, STAFF WRITER, "THE NEW YORKER": Well, that's right. Look, I think for Israel, first of all, it's been a welcome respite for months and months of increasingly negative coverage, increasingly negative headlines and great concerns from its allies, never mind its adversaries, about the way in which Israel is conducting the war in Gaza. That scrutiny has temporarily ebbed as people have focused more on the question of this brewing conflict with Iran.

One of the focuses of the Biden Administration's diplomacy over the last few months, much of it not necessarily visible to us, has been avoided feeding what they view as a really catastrophic outcome of a broader regional conflict. , Iran would be at the center of that. They've pointed out that it is really different how Iran orchestrated strikes from its own territory, even then to (ph) operate through proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah.

BASH: Susan, we talked earlier in the program about Ukraine and about the desperate sense of need for help from the U.S. For months and months and months, perhaps the House is on the cusp of passing some aid. You were talking in the break about the connection there from the view inside Ukraine.

GLASSER: Well, that's right. I mean, first of all, politically here in Washington, I do think these strikes by Iran over the weekend, it increased the pressure on Republicans to bring this national security bills, now plural, to the floor. One will be on Israel, one will be on Ukraine. For Ukrainian, these conflicts are linked and I think that's something that doesn't always break through here in Washington.

First of all, for many Ukrainians who are under daily assault by Russian missile barrages of exactly the kind that these drones that were launched and ballistic missiles that were launched from Iran, these are the same things that Russians are using to attack Ukrainians every day, and you don't have U.S. fighter jets in the air. You don't have U.S. air defense. And because of the Republican delay on Capitol Hill for more than six months really, the result has been Ukraine running out of ammunition or air defense that they could use themselves.

BASH: Right. Really interesting. Thank you so much. Always good to see you, Susan.

GLASSER: Thank you.

BASH: Appreciate it. Ahead, a new level of dysfunction, if you can believe that, on Capitol Hill. Hard-line Republicans are threatening to take down another speaker if he doesn't bend to their will. The question at this point is, will Democrats step in to save him? We are going to talk to a Democratic Congressman, coming up.

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[12:42:55]

BASH: Pressure is building on House Speaker Mike Johnson over foreign aid and a number of bills that he is trying to push through. And Republicans now are being more vocal as they learn the plan that he is going to push forward, it looks like, through this weekend, separate votes for foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine. His speakership still seems to be very much at stake. CNN's Manu Raju is with me now. Manu, you've been talking to some of the people in the conference who are not very happy.

MANU RANU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, those are the members of the hard right, the members of the House Freedom Caucus. I just caught up what number of them, they are angry and some of them are suggesting that they could be open to pushing out Mike Johnson, supporting the effort led by Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him from the speakership over these bills that have just been released. And the last matter of minutes to provide this key aide to the U.S. allies.

Now, one of them, Senator Congressman Chip Roy now meeting with Mike Johnson, and I asked him about whether or not he is ready to oust Mike Johnson from his job and he said he is going to need some more time to think about it, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ, (R-FL): Met for hours last night and proposed different paths for the Speaker that would have avoided the abject surrender represented by his strategic choice here. There is no other way to describe it. It is surrender, it is disappointing. I won't support it.

REP. ELI CRANE, (R-AZ): It is disappointing. It is completely detached from what our base wants, what our voters want.

REP. THOMAS MASSIE, (R-KY): This strategy is not to try. I think the strategy is to fall on a sword (ph).

RAJU: So when I asked Congressmen Chip Roy about whether or not it was time for him to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership, he said that he said -- he went right up to the line, Dana and didn't go across there -- that line perhaps because he needs to talk with the speaker, which is happening right now. Now the question is, will the numbers add up to oust him from the speakership because Democrats, as you mentioned, could step in to save him because of what he is doing here on Ukraine.

So, this is a different situation than the fall when McCarthy was ousted from the speakership. No doubt about it. Mike Johnson opening up of revolt on the far right with his conference, with his move here.

[12:45:00]

BASH: Yeah. I mean, we just saw it, just right there, what you played for us, Manu. Thanks so much, always great to have you on. Joining me now, here in the studio is New Jersey Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Thank you for coming in.

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER, (D-NJ): Thanks, Dana.

BASH: React to what you just heard from your fellow Congress people across the aisle, abject surrender. You know how narrow the Republicans majority is. It is going to mean that Democrats are going to have to help pass this support for Israel, the support for Ukraine, and beyond. Do you think it is going to happen?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, a lot of this is more of the same, right? This is the same group of people that no matter what happens, they throw bombs, right? The same foreign extremists and that's why Democrats, Republicans group have had to work together consistently to actually legislate, right? To keep the government open, to prevent a debt ceiling problem over and over again. That's what we have been focused on. And right now, we know that we have several crises going on in the world that we've got to deal with, right? And the easiest thing would be to take the bill that the Senate sent us with 70 votes and put it on the floor and pass it. You have Democrats, Republicans coming together to make sure there is resources for Ukraine, for Israel, humanitarian aid, Taiwan --

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: But you saw why --

GOTTHEIMER: -- at this time.

BASH: -- the speaker is not doing it.

GOTTHEIMER: Right, but he keeps trying all these other machinations and guess what, the bomb throwers keep throwing bombs. No matter what he tries to give them, you're back in the same place.

BASH: So, will these bills -- I know we haven't seen them yet, but assuming we will soon -- actually pass this Saturday, which is the current plan?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, so the first thing you got to see them, and if they're, I'll say this. If they are consistent in the language that the Senate sent over with 70 votes, Democrats and Republicans, but they are broken up in pieces, of course, I could see that actually passing. You could see an overwhelming number of Democrats and Republicans coming together to get it done. The thing I worry about between now and then is it is open to amendments. So, what amendments will, some of the folks you just saw, try to add to the bills? Will they pass? Because if you put a poison pill in, right, the whole thing blows up and that is what we are all worried about.

BASH: Will you (ph) listen to what some of your fellow Democrats have said about the increasingly likely prospect that Republicans will try to oust Mike Johnson from the speaker's chair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM SUOZZI, (D-NY): I will vote to keep Johnson as speaker. Just do your job and put it on the floor. And let's get this thing done already.

REP. ADAM SMITH, (D-WA): I think it is unlikely I would support vacating it.

REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ, (D-FL): If Marjorie Taylor Greene, someone who wants to -- want states to secede from the union, brings up a motion to vacate, I will not support her doing that under any circumstance. Democrats don't even let her rename post offices. I am not going to let her make a motion to vacate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Will you join them? Will you effectively side with -- it looks like the majority of Republicans -- and support Mike Johnson to stay in the speaker's chair.

GOTTHEIMER: Right now, I am not making that commitment until I actually -- I think it is putting the cart before the horse. I got to see how this actually plays out. Does it get done? Does he do the right thing? Part of my frustration now is we have waited two months. He has had the Senate bill. You could be helping Ukraine. You could be helping getting humanitarian aid and help Israel, which is critically important, especially after the Iran's attack this weekend. We know that Ukraine is literally outgunned five-two-one, right? They don't have defensive measures, are being depleted.

So, we have a huge crisis going on multiple fronts, plus in Taiwan, huge challenge from our number one adversary China.

BASH: So, you are giving him your support for free?

GOTTHEIMER: I want to actually see something get done here. He could have brought this to the floor. Will this proposal work that he is trying? Like if he did it the right way, I guaranty he would have a lot of people supporting them. The question is, will he get this done? And then you can ask me that question.

BASH: OK. But you are obviously open to it?

GOTTHEIMER: I want to see what happens. I don't put the cart before the horse.

BASH: OK. You yesterday were a co-sponsor of a resolution that passed -- that condemned the chant "From the river to the sea" as blatantly anti-Semitic. It passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives.

Today, there are representatives from Columbia University, other administrators, on Capitol Hill, there being asked questions about what they view as anti-Semitic. (Inaudible) listen to some of what is happening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SUZANNE BONAMICI, (D-OR): Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Columbia's code of conduct, Mr. Greenwald?

DAVID GREENWALD, CO-CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Yes, it does.

BONAMICI: Ms. Shipman?

CLAIRE SHIPMAN, CO-CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Yes, it does.

BONAMICI: Dr. Shafik?

MINOUCHE SHAFIK, PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Yes, it does.

BONAMICI: And Professor Schizer?

DAVID SCHIZER, FORMER DEAN OF COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL: Yes, it does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Your reaction?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, that's obviously given that I -- I have to offer that resolution, I thought that calling for the destruction of Israel from the river to the sea and the elimination of the Jewish people is anti-Semitic. I think there has never been a question about that. And yesterday, Congress overwhelmingly affirmed it, and now, you see today the Columbia University, all these representative from Columbia also said this is a violation of our code of conduct and unacceptable.

BASH: It is quite different from a few months ago when it was --

(CROSSTALK)

GOTTHEIMER: Yes, when people are equivocating and unsure whether or not it was, and I thought that was outrageous then and I am glad they followed up today.

[12:50:00]

BASH: We are in -- about to enter a commencement season. You saw what happened at the USC that the valedictorian was asked not to speak. They said it was security concerns. She did post allegedly some statements on her social media page saying, talking about the abolition of Israel. Just quickly, are you concerned about these kinds of speeches that we are going to see over and over?

GOTTHEIMER: I am not close and I haven't spoken to -- so I put a call on (ph) to the university to find out more details and obviously, to understand more about security issues because that is always my number one concern. Well, listen, I think we are entering a time where we have to make it clear that calls for genocide and elimination of people, by the way, if it is Islamophobia, if it is anti-Semitism, which numbers have spiked off the chart, right, in my home state of New Jersey, huge problem, like one of the largest problems in the country right now. We've got to make sure we come together again. We've got to tamp this down and we've got to focus on what brings us together, not on all this hatred.

BASH: Congressman, thanks so much.

GOTTHEIMER: Thanks for having me.

BASH: Appreciate it. We'll be right back.

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[12:55:16]

BASH: Before we go, we have some very exciting news here at "Inside Politics." We want to welcome Luke William Filkins (ph) to the IP family. He was born on Saturday, weighing in at a mighty seven pounds, one ounce, and 18.5 inches long. Congratulations to our Producer Courtney Pence, her husband John (ph), and of course, Luke's big sister Emmy (ph), on the newest addition to their sweet family.

Thank you so much for joining "Inside Politics." "CNN News Central" starts after the break.

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