Judging Freedom - Aaron Maté : Should Israel Pay Reparations to Gaza?

Episode Date: November 12, 2025

Aaron Maté : Should Israel Pay Reparations to Gaza?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thank you. Hi, everyone. Judge Andrew Napolitano here for Judging Freedom. Today is Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Aaron Matae joins us now. Aaron, always a pleasure. My dear friend, you raised the very intriguing prospect or idea. I don't know that it's a prospect the other day in one of your ex-tweets, should Israel pay reparations to God? And I want to explore that with you as unlikely as it may seem, not the should, but will it. But before we get there, I want to talk to you about the DOD murders in the Caribbean because there's news on it.

The Department of Defense claims it has a secret memo written by the Department of Justice, justifying, two memos, one, justifying the murders, and two, claiming that the troops that are involved cannot be prosecuted under U.S. law or international law. Okay, I get it. They're justifying themselves and they won't reveal either of those memos. It's inconceivable to me that a legal argument could be secret because the laws are public. However, MI6 has a legal memo saying that it is a violation of international law and at least theoretically has said it will not aid the U.S. in these killings with any intel for fear that a few future British administration or ICC could punish the MI6 people. What do you make of this?

Well, it just shows you how criminal the Trump administration is that even some of the most subservient client states like the UK won't participate in these murders on the high seas. The Associated Press recently did an investigation where they actually went to the region and they interviewed the families of some of the people who have been murdered by the U.S. And one victim was a father of four who had spent years, you know, honing his skills, navigating the waters to be able to fish for his family. And that was all he was doing.

He was out there fishing. He wasn't running drugs. And of course, even if people were running drugs that would not in any way justify these murders. But it just shows how completely reckless this administration is claiming to go after drug traffickers, who, by the way, even if they were trafficking drugs, couldn't even reach the U.S. in these boats. But in fact, they're killing average civilians, including fissures, who are just trying to feed

their families. I don't know what can stop this other than maybe an enormous public reaction. Congress isn't going to stop it. Maybe one of the survivors or maybe one of the family members will engage U.S. counsel to bring an action and get it before a federal judge. Otherwise, Trump and Hegseth are enjoying all this killing. Hegseth boasts about it if you read his tweets. And it seems like this is going to go on without end.

I would not be surprised at all if you start seeing legal action directly from the victim's families. And you're right. I do think that would be a really effective way to stop this because, as you point out, Congress is not doing anything. To the extent there's congressional oversight, it's the Trump administration giving briefings to people already on its side while excluding everybody else. And even those who've received these briefings have to admit that there's not much there.

So, yeah, I mean, look, the problem is there's so much going on in the world. We've had a government shutdown. You have ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza and across the West Bank. You have the ongoing proxs who are in Ukraine. It's hard for people to keep up with all of this. But this is just one aspect of a lawless administration with no oversight or guardrails. The United States announced yesterday it's going to build a military base somewhere along the border between Gaza and Israel. I mean, does that mean the unthinkable U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza?

You know, I've heard conflicting reports about this. I ask someone I know actually inside the Trump administration who denied this to me. So I don't know what the truth is. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if this happens. We already know the U.S. military is on the ground inside. of Israel coordinating plans for the so-called stabilization mission inside of Gaza. And overall, there's just been a broader U.S. expansion of its military bases. The U.S. has military bases inside of Syria already.

If you recall during Trump's first term, he ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from those bases. And his command just ignored him. They refused to execute the orders. So you have, whether it's under the direction of the president or not, a total commitment to U.S. military hegemony in the region. So I'd be surprised, though, if you see an actual base set up inside of Gaza. But you do have Israel already controlling, already half of Gaza. So you don't even need a U.S. military base, given that Israel and the U.S. are at this point.

Is Israel out of the other half? I mean, the number that I was given this morning was Israel controls 58%. What about the 42? Is the IDF out of the 42? And is that the area that is utterly totally inhabitable because of the 1,500 buildings they destroyed? Correct. That's exactly right. To the extent that Israel's not in Gaza, it's in the areas that they've totally destroyed. And they're telling Palestinians, yeah, you know, you'll have no prospects of a dignified life there

because they're not going to let Gaza rebuild in those areas that Israel doesn't control. And the areas that Israel does control, to the extent we'll even see any reconstruction there, I'd be very surprised. unless, of course, there's money to be made off of it for Jared Kushner and his friends. Do you know anything of the efforts by the United States to get something through the Security Council at the U.N., which would establish this, it's hard to save the straight face, so I'll do air quotes, Peace Board of which President Trump is to be the chair, and theoretically this is to be the governing body of, Gaza and its governance will be executed by none other than former British Prime Minister,

Tony Blair. Is all this stuff before the UN? It is, but the problem is the U.S., just as it did during the, you know, negotiations with Hamas keeps bowing to Israeli demands and not even putting in token gestures towards Palestinian statehood. For other people to get on board with this, they need something, even if it's totally fake, that they can point to and say, here's some sort of pathway to a Palestinian state. But Israel and the U.S. won't even grant that

because they're fundamentally opposed to anything that recognizes Palestinian rights to self-determination. So you've had the U.S. put proposals for the U.N. Security Council and saying, take it or leave it, this is it, we'll offering nothing to Palestinians. And for other people, they just can't go along with that. Because you have the Gulf states, for example, who have no interest in Palestinian rights, see them as a nuisance. But they can't formally sign off on something.

that so blatantly negates Palestinian rights. So they need some sort of face saving gestures, which not even the U.S. and Israel are willing to offer. So that's why right now you're seeing the sort of peacekeeping plan stall at the U.N. because

the U.S. and Israel insist on pushing through something that offers nothing, not even a token recognition of a pathway to a Palestinian state. Is the United States going to build a military base in Damascus, which was announced when now Julani was in the White House on Monday.

That is the rumor, but again, I haven't seen that confirmed. The U.S. already has military bases in Syria. They were established to basically plunder Syria's oil and wheat during the dirty war there. Now that that job has succeeded because there was regime change in Syria after all, the reason for those bases is unclear, given that we don't need to steal Syria's oil and wheat anymore. But whether they'll build one in Damascus, that's the rumor. I just haven't seen it confirm. I don't know if you've seen this, and I don't even recall her name,

but she is a member of the Israeli Knesset who excoriates Netanyahu while he smirks. This is worth watching. And I'm going to ask you what, if anything, will come of this. Chris cut number seven. I blame you, Benjamin Netanyahu. I blame you for the mindset in October. The greatest disaster this country has. ever known happened on your watch even if you sleep with a clear conscience we

will not forget we will cry out over the abandonment and a state commission of inquiry will be established I blame you Netanyahu your personal corruption has become a national plague every corrupt person becomes your partner the bigger the file you have on someone the more convenient they are for you I blame you Netanyahu because you have forgotten what it means to be Jewish Trump returned hostages in your place while you shamelessly were busy trying to get him to grant a pardon. I blame you, Netanyahu. Racism has always served you. It has torn us apart from within. You turned half the nation

into an enemy. We will cleanse the poison you have poured here for 30 years. We will return to being a united society. I blame you, Netanyahu. I blame you, Netanyahu. Yes. Does this lady represent a significant portion of Israeli society? I'm afraid not. No, she's left wing, she's progressive, but it's still in a Zionist context. She still believes in the idea of a Jewish state. But yes, in the Israeli spectrum, she's still at the margins because she advocates peace with Palestine, and she's critical of Netanyahu. If you look at the protest against Netanyahu, again, very little outrage against the genocide of Palestinians.

It's mostly focused on his own corruption, his attempts overhaul, the judiciary. For example, look, right now in Israel, you have protests surrounding the issue of this controversy of leaked videotape of the rape of torture of a Palestinian. The protests are not against the rapists. They're actually in support of the rapists. And meanwhile, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights just released really harrowing testimony from Palestinian prisoners who have recently been freed about the rape and sexual torture that they've endured. It's just, it's, it's so ghastly what these people are reporting, what happened to them. No controversy at all within Israel. Everyone just yawned.

And, of course, it doesn't even get reported inside the U.S. because instead, when it comes to the issue of rape, the focus has been on these concocted claims of Hamas sexual violence in October 7th. Actual people, actual Palestinians providing firsthand testimony of rape and sexual torture that's greeted with the collective yon because it doesn't serve the narrative that we need to wage a genocide against Palestinian. So unfortunately, that Israeli lawmaker who's critical of Netanyahu, who support peace with Palestinians is a small fringe inside of Israel.

Chris, do we still have the B-roll showing the adulation of these masked defendants as they walk into a courtroom? He'll have it for you in a minute. Excuse me. These are the same thugs. Do we have it? There we go. So that's one of your court hearings and they're being cheered by their support. Right.

They're being cheered by the public and some sort of an ante room outside the actual courtroom. Yep. Exactly right. And that's far more reflective of Israeli society than those who oppose rape and torture of Palestinians. And by the way, the group that released that testimony I just talked about, this testimony of Palestinians being raped and sexually tortured. It's a group called the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. They're one of three Palestinian human rights groups who've been sanctioned by the Trump administration. Their YouTube page was recently taken down by YouTube because they're now under YouTube sanction. So the Palestinian groups documenting rape and sexual torture by Israelis, they're so marginalized that not only is U.S. media ignoring the testimony that they released, but literally there's state-backed censorship of them to the point where their YouTube page, which contains which contains important footage, important testimony. They've just been taken down by YouTube. Are they allowed? I don't know if you know this, but are they allowed to,

go into court wearing masks? I mean, the court has the right to know who the hell they are. These are people who took videos of themselves raping someone with such ferocity that he required 20 surgical

procedures thereafter. And now they're hiding their faces. You know, I'm not sure what the protocol is, but there was one video of one of the suspects recently at a news conference who took off his mask. and was proud to show Israel who he is because they're proud of raping and sexually torturing Palestinians. And they have impunity to do so by their government. Again, there was this whole controversy recently over the military prosecutor who was driven to a suicide attempt

because of the attacks that she faced simply for making this evidence public. So the people in Israel who are under scrutiny would have come to. these allegations are those who expose the sexual torture and the rape. Those who actually committed it, they're openly celebrated as heroes. It appears that something's happening with the Epstein files. Now that this new Congresswoman from, I forget if it's New Mexico or Arizona, will be sworn in. And apparently one of the Republicans has changed her mind

and is now voting or will vote in favor of this. release, Representative Lauren Bobert of Colorado was now joining her friend, Marjorie Taylor Green, and CNN is reporting that there will be a meeting this afternoon inside the White House as aides try to manage a potential House vote on the release of the Epstein files. I'm just wondering if there's any more information involving Epstein and Mossad or IDF, generals, or Israeli officials who should be shaking in their boots? Well, one of them is a hood Barack, the former Israeli Prime Minister who was close with Jeffrey Epstein.

It's also recently come out that an Israeli intelligence officer who's actually staying at Jeffrey Epstein's house when he visited New York. An Israeli, wait, an actual member of the Mossad? I don't know. I don't recall which agency he was with. It was either Mossad or Shin Bet, but some Israeli intelligence officer was staying at Jeffrey Epstein's home in New York City.

That recently came out. It's at drop site news. And so clearly there are ties between Jeffrey Epstein and Israel. And clearly there are ties between Trump and Epstein, which presumably explains why Trump has been so against the release of these files and the extent and the lengths that Mike Johnson has gone to to prevent their release. you know again whether this meets the maximalist theories about a black male ring on behalf of Israel run by Jeffrey Epstein you know I've always been skeptical of that part but clearly there's

a tie here between Jeffrey Epstein and Trump clearly a tie between Jeffrey Epstein and Israel and if these files do get released hopefully we'll learn a whole lot more well is there serious talk about Israeli reparations for the demolition of more than half of Gaza 15 hundred buildings reduced to rubble. No, no, no. And it will never happen unless Israel is compelled to by its chief sponsor in the U.S. So that, you know, really, so really the question comes down to, will we see our government reflect public opinion in the U.S., public opinion, which is so now overwhelmingly against

Israel. But without the U.S. changing its policy, no, there will be no compensation or reparations by Israel to palisional. Palestinians, and that's always been the case. Again, Israel's founded on stolen Palestinian land. You have hundreds of thousands of Palestinians around the world to have the original keys to their stolen homes that were taken from them in 1948. Israel and all the multiple rounds of so-called peace talks has never been willing to take any responsibility. The farthest that they've been willing to go is to acknowledge Palestinian suffering, but not to acknowledge that Israel stole Palestinian homes and Palestinian land. And so that same attitude is there today when it comes to the destruction of Gaza.

Israel feels completely entitled to destroy Gaza because on October 7th, the natives dared to raise their heads and resist this long-winning brutal military occupation that Israel thinks it's completely entitled to maintain. Does Trump's letter to Israeli President Herzog mean a damn thing in terms of, by way, look at the way he signs it, Aaron. Donald J. Trump, president of the United States of America, and I was on White House Stationery. He's the only Donald Trump that lives in the White House, and he still has to identify himself in caps as president of the United States of America. I've never seen that. I've received letters from presidents. There isn't even anything printed under their name. It's just their signature. You know damn well who the signer is. Well, and what he's asking Herzog there for is a pardon of Netanyahu, just as he did.

in his speech before the Knesset last month when he went before the Knesset and just told the Israeli lawmakers to give Netanyahu a pardon in between also talking about how he does the bidding of Miriam Edelson, bragging about how was the Edelson's who got him to recognize Israel's theft of the Golan Heights and move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. So Trump in this letter to the Israeli president asking for a pardon of Netanyahu is just continuing his advocacy for the Adelson's. It's the Adelson. It's Miriam Edelson who wants us pardon. for Netanyahu because they're very close. And Trump, as he openly bragged about before the Israeli parliament, does the Adelson's bidding.

So that's just what he's doing here. And it also gives, it newly exposes, to whatever extent we got leaks from the White House and Israelis saying there was some kind of rifted between Trump and Netanyahu. That was all just a complete farce to give cover for the reality, which is Trump's unfettered support for Israeli genocide. Here's Yeir Lepid, the leader of the opposition, chastising Trump. Now, this guy is no saint in terms of his arch-Zionist views, but he is basically saying to the President of the United States, stay the hell out of our internal affairs. Chris, cut number 14. But there comes a moment when people who call themselves the national camp also need to say,

to the American president, listen, we are a sovereign country. There is a limit to interference. It is precisely the nationalists who should say, listen, you can't send letters and demand a pardon for the Israeli prime minister in a criminal proceeding. We are a proud country, we are a sovereign nation, we are not a protectorate of anyone. It can't be that the prime minister keeps running to you for help and you issue letters calling to grant him a pardon. A country that is proud of itself with national dignity, with a large national camp that crosses both coalition and opposition does not behave this way. And there are plenty of people here who spend all day telling us what kind of national pride we should have. First and foremost, the prime minister and secondly,

the justice ministers should have approached the American president and told him, Sir, we ask you, stop interfering in this matter because we have our pride. We are not an American protectorate, we are an independent country, and it pains me that the national camp is not behaving like a national camp. Thank you very much. National camp, Lakoud?

Yeah, he's referring to Netanyo's coalition, the ultra-nationalist, the ultra-extremists who dominated Netanyo's cabinet. Can Herzog like that stop these prosecutions? I believe he can issue a pardon. But

when it comes to your lip, Pete's comments about we're not an American protectorate. I'm sorry, you are. And the genocide that Yir Lepid just supported, fully supported, would not have happened without U.S. support. So yes, he doesn't want the U.S. interfering so brazenly in Israeli politics that Trump is begging for a pardon for Netanyahu. But when it comes to everything else, yes, Israel is a U.S. protectorate.

And Yer Lepid, if he were ever the prime minister of Israel, he were ever indicted for war crimes, he'd be relying on the U.S. just as much as Netanyahu is right now to protect him. Aaron, thank you, my dear friend. Always a pleasure. Much appreciated. Thanks for accommodating my schedule. Look forward to seeing you next week. Thank you, Judge. Sure. A long day, but still to come at 3 o'clock this afternoon, Scott Ritter. Judge Napolitano for judging freedom. We're going to be able to be.