Judging Freedom - Aaron Maté: Trump and Ethnic Cleansing

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

Aaron Maté: Trump and Ethnic CleansingSee 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, February 12th, 2025. Aaron Maté will be with us here in just a moment on Donald Trump and ethnic cleansing. Oh, and the Senate just confirmed Tulsi Gabbard. And that's a surprise. But first this. Did you know that American homeowners have over $32 trillion in equity and criminals are targeting it with a growing scam the FBI calls house stealing. Scammers can transfer your title out of your name using a one-page document they can file behind your back with the government.

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to lock in your peace of mind. Do it today. Go to hometitlelock.com, promo code judge. Aaron Maté, welcome here, my dear friend. I want to spend a fair amount of time discussing Donald Trump and ethnic cleansing with you. But first, your thoughts on the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence. of Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence? I have many criticisms of Tulsi Gabbard, foremost being her reversal on the issue of Israel-Palestine. When she ran for president a few years ago, she said some very fair-minded things.

Ever since joining the MAGA camp, she's abandoned all that and smeared protesters against the genocide as being Islamic extremists and all those smear tactics that are used against people who are just simply opposed to Israel's mass murder. Incidentally, the same kind of smear tactics that Tulsi Gabbard has received for taking brave stances. And so even though I have my disagreements with her, I also have to recognize that previously at times in her career, she's taken some brave stances, including calling out the deceptions that led to the Iraq war, calling out the scandal that was the U.S. backing an al-Qaeda-dominated insurgency in Syria. And to her credit, although she has reversed herself on some issues that I find very important, especially Israel-Palestine,

she has stuck to her principles and other issues. At her confirmation hearing, she refused to call Edward Snowden a traitor, and she called out the Syria dirty war, and she called out the cover-up at the OPCW in which brave dissenting inspectors challenged the censorship of their investigation, in which their own findings undermined the claims that the Syrian government committed a chemical attack. And those claims, just like Iraq WMDs, were very foundational to the pro-war narrative inside Syria. So it's historic that someone who's challenged these intelligence deceptions, despite her flaws, is now overseeing the intelligence community. And it's initially historic because for taking the position that she's taken, just as I mentioned, anti-genocide protesters were smeared as Hamas apologists or whatever, Tulsi Gabbard's been smeared as a Russian asset. Hillary Clinton led that charge, called her a Russian agent basically, and other people, including Tammy Duckworth, Elizabeth Warren, many others have echoed that. in people who have weaponized intelligence to take the U.S. off to war to kill so many people

and then have smeared people like Tulsi Gabbard as apologists of a foreign government or assets of a foreign government for opposing their agenda. Then now Tulsi Gabbard is now in charge of the nation's intelligence. You know, the nation's intelligence community, in my view, was behind the smear tactics against her. The nation's intelligence community, in my view, was behind the smear tactics against her. The nation's intelligence community, in my view, was one of the greatest threats to human liberty that we have today. So in that respect, I'm happy she was confirmed. on Section 702, which is a roundabout around the Fourth Amendment that allows the nation's intelligence community to spy on Americans without search warrants under the guise that they or somebody they know or somebody they once knew, this goes out to the sixth degree of separation,

literally spoke to a foreign person. She railed against 702, voted against its extensions every time she was in Congress and the vote came up. Then she did a flip-flop on it. We'll see. Maybe she'll flip-flop back. She's probably the best we're going to get in this environment. But those people beholden to the intelligence community, like Senator Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, just ranted and raved on the Senate floor this morning. It was a party line vote with the exception of former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who, without making a speech, voted against her. All right. We'll see where all of this goes to the one vote. Let me say quickly. Sure. The one vote I was most interested in was Bernie Sanders, because Tulsi Gabbard pretty much risked her future in the Democratic Party when she resigned from the DNC to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016 and who called out the corruption, the bias, the rigging of the primary against Bernie Sanders and shares many positions with Bernie Sanders,

despite her reversal on the issue of Israel-Palestine. Bernie Sanders voted against Tulsi Gabbard. So even though Tulsi Gabbard took a huge risk politically and career-wise to stand with Bernie Sanders, and even though previously they've worked together, they've praised each other, Bernie Sanders, I think out of total deference to this partisan climate, even though he's an independent and supposed to be beyond Democratic Party politics, even he bent the Democrats. And I just find that so – Yeah, I agree with you a number of times. Especially after he voted to confirm Marco Rubio, with whom he shares zero positions in common. So Bernie Sanders is going to vote for Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, but not Tulsi Gabbard, who risked her career to support him and who shares many positions in common. So Bernie Sanders is going to vote for Marco Rubio, Secretary of State,

but not Tulsi Gabbard, who risked her career to support him and who shares many positions with him. I just find that so sad. Bernie is an enigma trying to figure out when he's going to be the principal of Bernie and when he's going to be the political hack. Let's transition to what you have been writing and speaking about on Trump and ethnic cleansing. What is the geopolitical effect of Trump's nonsensical offer about the United States purchasing Palestine, expel the United States, expelling, purchasing Gaza, expelling the Palestinians, developing the property and not allowing them to return.

One geopolitical effect is just to remind the world that the U.S. doesn't care about international law. The fact that Trump can openly advocate ethnic cleansing and talk about just taking control of Gaza. And when he's asked under what authority, Trump responded, under the U.S. authority. I didn't realize that there's a provision in international law that says the U.S. can do whatever it wants. That's supposed to be

antithetical to the so-called rules-based international order that we're supposed to be defending in Ukraine by opposing Russia's acquisition of territory by force. But Trump is reminding us that those rules don't apply to the U.S. Just as Trump can proclaim that we can take Gaza under the U.S. authority, Joe Biden could go and denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine while still occupying one third of Syria and stealing its oil and valuable agricultural resources. So Trump is making plain the prevailing policy, not only of just ignoring international law, but also ignoring the rights of Palestinians to self-determination, the fact

that he wants them not to come back to Gaza after the U.S. takes ownership of it. And it also reminds Arab states in the region that the U.S. sees them as a client and that their whims and wishes are just completely worth ignoring. Trump humiliated King Abdullah of Jordan sitting there and claiming that the U.S. will take Gaza. And the King of Jordan just had to sort of whimper in his seat and not really forcefully push back. Egypt has canceled a visit by Sisi to Washington because this whole thing is just so humiliating.

But it underscores that the u.s has contempt for international law and contempt for the people that it calls its allies is the trump foreign policy just towards israel gaza zionism the middle east just a continuation of joe biden's 100 except the difference is Trump appears to be putting even less constraints than the pitiful constraints that Biden put on Israel because Biden paused symbolically one 2,000 pound bomb shipment to Israel. And Trump is more willing to say openly the racist policy of that we are going to help Israel expel the Palestinians and not let them come back. That has basically been US policy for a long time.

Recall that Antony Blinken went to Egypt and asked them to take in Palestinian refugees early on in the genocide in Gaza. So Trump and Biden have the exact same policies. I guess the main difference is Trump is more willing to say it out loud. I keep hearing that Netanyahu is miserable. Do you have any insight into this? I don't know if it's physical, medical problems, legal problems, or if he somehow really feels humiliated that Trump seems to be taking over Gaza from him or wants to take over Gaza from him? He does have some health issues, and obviously he has the ongoing court cases. But when it comes to Palestinians, I think he's thrilled. Trump is basically giving Netanyahu a rubber stamp on the Israeli policy that Palestinians have no rights and that they should all leave.

In 1967, when Israel took control, occupied the West Bank and Gaza, Moshe Dayan, who was a top Israeli general, who was considered to be sympathetic actually to the Palestinian plight within the context of the Israeli establishment. He had a line that Noam Chomsky wrote about because Chomsky read about it in a book written in Hebrew and Chomsky translated it. And Moshe Dayan said that basically the Israeli policy to Palestinians in the West Bank is going to be that you will live like dogs and whoever doesn't like it will leave. And that's been the policy ever since. And so Trump, by saying that, yes, Palestinians and Gaza are going to leave and not come back, he's just newly affirming what's been Israeli policy for decades. He's putting an official U.S. rubber stamp on it. Rather than previous U.S. presidents who have quietly supported that policy while not openly admitting it. Trump is openly admitting it. So Netanyahu, I think, is every reason to be thrilled with Trump openly endorsing Israel's foundational

commitment to ethnic cleansing. Here's Trump on Air Force One on Sunday, either going to or coming home from the Super Bowl on buying and owning Gaza. Chris, cut number one. Steve Whitcough said that process would take 10 to 15 years. Does your commitment to rebuilding Gaza extend beyond your time in office? I'm committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it through our auspices.

But we're committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn't move back. There's nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site. By what authority could he possibly own it? None. Owning it implies a sale. Who would sell it to him? At one point he said Israel would sell it to us. Israel doesn't

own it. Israel can't conquer it. Israel can't defeat Hamas. Hegseth says American troops will never be there. I don't know if these people have even thought this stuff through. I don't think they thought it through either, but when you're guided by what fundamentally is racism, where you don't see Palestinians as equal human beings, you are fully devoted to Israel's conception of itself as superior, as having the right to all that land, and Palestinians having no rights, then you'll be willing to disregard Palestinian existence, ignore that

they've been there for thousands of years. And it's Israel that's actually a settler colonial state created by European Jews who came in and ethnically cleansed the Palestinians. There's always been a tiny portion of Jewss in the land of palestine the vast majority for a long time were arab palestinians and because they're there they're considered to be a nuisance what's called the demographic threat because their existence is a threat to israel's self-conception as a jewish state what would happen to me a roman catholic if i lived in gaza well uh your church might be bombed, as has happened during the genocide.

A church in Gaza was bombed and destroyed, along with all other places of worship. Israel does not recognize Palestinians as equal, especially in Gaza, because Gaza has long been the center of Palestinian resistance. And when you're a supremacist state, you can't tolerate any resistance to your rule. It has to be wiped out.

And I think that's what drives Trump here as well. The U.S. and Israel insist on having a monopoly on force. And Hamas disrupted that with October 7th. So therefore, in the eyes of a fanatic like Trump and Netanyahu, Gaza just has to be wiped out and all the Palestinians who live there have to go with it. Chris, cut number seven. And Aaron, I'm going to ask you, after we listen to this, if you think that Trump is trying to sabotage his own ceasefire agreement written by his own emissary, Steve Witkoff. Number seven.

As far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 o'clock, I think it's an appropriate time. I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out. I'd say they ought to be returned by 12 o'clock on Saturday, and if they're not returned, all of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two. Saturday at 12 o'clock,

and after that, I would say all hell is going to break out, and I don't think they're going to do it. I think a lot of them are dead. I think a lot of the hostages are dead. I think it's a great human tragedy what's happened. One and two and three and four and two. That's the deal authored by his guy, Steve Witkoff, for which he claimed credit, probably accurately, and President Biden claimed credit as well in the middle of January. What does he want to do now? Sabotage his own deal? He knows Hamas cannot release all the hostages on Saturday and is only obliged to release three.

Yeah, he's blowing up his own ceasefire deal. He's blowing up his own mandate. He went to Michigan and campaigned on a platform of bringing peace to the Middle East. That's what he promised the Arab and Muslim community there. He promised his own voters, the MAGA base that doesn't want to be fooling all these foreign wars to put America first. But now he's so devoted to Israel, he's willing to blow up the ceasefire that he helped negotiate. It doesn't make any sense. Judge, I'm curious your thoughts.

I mean, you know the guy. Is he this macho? Is he this impulsive that just the sight of Israeli prisoners being freed and the fact that you had Hamas celebrating, is this what you think maybe set him off that he just can't tolerate this resistance group getting any sort of credibility or any sort of, I think he's like, what's going on here? I think he's so impulsive, Aaron. We can play that clip again and you'll see a slight pause before he says Saturday at noon, the idea just popped into his

head. Chris, run number seven again. As far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 o'clock, I think it's an appropriate time. I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out. I'd say they ought to be returned by 12 o'clock on Saturday. And if they're not returned, all of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two. Saturday at 12 o'clock. And after that, I would say all hell is going to break out and I don't think they're going to do it

I think a lot of them are dead I think a lot of the hostages are dead I think it's a great human tragedy what's happening he made up the numbers off off the top of his head

no question about it and he gave carte blanche for Netanyahu to say the hostage, without saying whether he meant three or all. The president at least was clear when he said all. Unreal the hostages returned at noon on Saturday. So we don't know if he's talking about precise compliance with the ceasefire agreement that he signed off on reluctantly, but he did, or if he's talking about Trump's new command. I'll give you the last word on this, but I think they're both trying to sabotage the agreement. I suspect, or at least I'm hopeful, that the White House will find a way to walk this back, that they all recognize this was just Trump being impulsive

and they're not going to go all the way with this. And, you know, this thing he said about there will be hell to pay or hell will break loose, that to me is just him being a tough guy, him being impulsive, but they know that this deal is important. It it's what they, you know, it's one of their biggest achievements so far. And so are they going to blow it up just for the sake of catering to Trump's impulses? I, I really hope not. And there are a few of the things to mention.

You know, Trump has talked about how horrible it was to see these emaciated Israeli prisoners coming out of Gaza and how they look like they're going through the Holocaust. Well, why is that? It's because the U.S., under Joe Biden, was helping Israel block all food and aid to Gaza. Right. As Israeli officials openly bragged about. So what else is going to happen when you deny a besieged death camp all the basics that people need to live? People are going to look like they've survived the Holocaust.

Did you see on mainstream media any of the Palestinian prisoners that were carried out of Israeli jails on stretchers and gurneys? Well, there you go. Exactly. And so meanwhile, by contrast, Palestinians coming out of Israeli prisons, they look just as emaciated. In fact, in some cases worse, because they've suffered much worse ordeals than people have suffered in Palestinian captivity. And the difference is Israel has no blockade on it. Israel has all the food and medicine in the world to feed its prisoners.

Instead, it subjects them to a regime of torture, as everybody knows, including Israeli human rights groups have documented. Is Trump complaining about them? No. He only cares about the Israeli captives while ignoring the fact that it's Israel that imposed the conditions that have made them look so ill. And on that front, even the New York Times has recently acknowledged that Hamas's complaints about Israel's implementation of the ceasefire deal are correct. Hamas has said that Israel is supposed to let in critical humanitarian supplies,

including tents for people to sleep in. Recently, there was heavy rains in Gaza, and some people have no tents to sleep in, and their tents, if they do have them, are being flooded, so they find whatever shelter they can. It's horrible. Israel is supposed to let in more tents, and they haven't. And even Israeli officials speaking to New York Times have acknowledged that Hamas's complaints were accurate. So you know things are bad when even the New York Times, and of course they buried this at the bottom of an article. This wasn't the headline,

although it should have been. It was buried in an article that even New York Times is admitting that Hamas's complaints about Israel blocking the terms of the ceasefire deal are accurate. Aaron Mate, thank you, my dear friend. No matter what we talk about, it's always enlightening, and I appreciate your letting me pick your brain. All the best. We'll see you again next week. See you then, Judge. Thank you. Thank you. Coming up later today at three o'clock, Phil Giraldi at four o'clock from Midnight in Moscow, Pepe Escobar. Justin Napolitano for Judging Freedom. Thank you.