I'm Mike Agiaci in Los Angeles.
In today's big story, new tensions between the US and
Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses the US of
withholding weapons.
How the White House has responded amid a meeting of
between the national security advisor and top Israeli officials as
the war in Gaza ranges on and in our spotlight,
Louisiana becoming the first state to require that the 10
commandments did be displayed in every public school classroom.
How some are responded responding to the controversial law.
But we begin with our big story, new tensions surrounding
the war in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is responding after the White
House called his video statement that accused the US of
withholding weapons from Israel perplexing and disappointing.
Netanyahu saying this today.
I am ready to suffer personal attacks provided that Israel
receives from the US the ammunition it needs in the
war for its existence.
White House sources telling ABC News the Biden administration is
angry and frustrated at Netanyahu, saying that US is blocking
arms shipments, a claim the White House denies.
The Prime Minister was reportedly warned against making that statement.
Now, this comes as top Israeli officials meet with National
security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House one day
after another high level meeting focused on Israel's security was
canceled by the US but is supposed to be rescheduled.
Now.
Joining me now is ABC News political contributor and NPR
White House correspondent Asma Khalid.
How are you today?
Now, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan just wrapped up a
wide-ranging meet up meeting between his Israeli counterpart and other
Israeli officials.
Now, what do you know about what happened in that
meeting?
So we don't yet have details about what transpired inside.
But I know before they went in, you know, we
were told this was supposed to be a wide-ranging meeting
discussing the proposed ceasefire plan.
We know that that proposal was laid out by President
Biden in early June.
And to date, what I heard just from a source
a bit ago is that there hasn't been a lot
of movement.
They are still waiting to hear from the culturies and
the Egyptians.
And this is really the primary focus for the Biden
administration because, you know, we see these sort of private
disputes between Netanyahu and Biden publicly spilling out.
The crux of the issue is trying to get this
ceasefire deal across the line.
Now, sources inside the White House say there is frustration
over Netanyahu's video, with officials saying the message is beyond
the pale and that it's affecting the scheduling of some
high level meetings between the two nations.
Do you see this as a bump in the road
or an issue that could potentially alter the relationship between
the US and Israel?
I don't see it as an issue that will potentially
really fundamentally, substantively change the dynamic that would the United
States has with Israel.
And the reason I say this is that, you know,
there have been many periodic private disputes between Biden and
the Israeli Prime Minister.
And we hear these reports that myself reported on some
of these, that these are public, public, sorry, private disagreements
that spill out into the public periodically, But they have
not fundamentally altered the course of this war.
I mean, you have seen the Biden administration since day
one offer rather unconditionally national support to Israel, with the
exception of that one pause in shipment in May Other
than that, the US has, you know, the Biden administration
has strongly stood by Israel.
And you know, one thing I will say is that
long time Middle East diplomats tell me that this isn't
just about the United States diplomatic relationship with Israel.
This is a personal emotional attachment that President Biden has
with Israel dating back to his years as a junior
senator in Congress.
And so, no, I don't anticipate this will fundamentally change
the relationship.
So, Hospital, let me ask you this then.
What do you make of that statement from Netanyahu saying
he's ready to suffer personal attacks provided he receives more
ammunition and weapons from the US?
You know, what I hear from my colleagues on the
ground in Israel is that Netanyahu is this sort of
playing to a domestic political crowd as well, right?
I mean, he's facing a corruption trial at home.
He wants to avoid a election contest there in in
the state of Israel.
And so there are those domestic Israeli concerns and the
domestic Israeli audience that he's speaking to.
But I will also say this, you know, I would
not put it past Netanyahu has been invited to Congress
to speak next month to to potentially try to meddle
in US domestic politics here.
And, and the reason I say this is that you
have seen Democratic lawmakers on the Hill repeatedly grow frustrated
with the the reaction they feel that Netanyahu has been
giving to the Biden administration publicly.
I mean, here is an administration, here is a country
of the United States who has been Israel's strongest ally.
And, and they don't really appreciate seeing the sort of
public reprimand that you saw from Netanyahu delivered on a
social media site in English to obviously speak to multiple
audiences.
Now, President Biden has delayed delivering certain heavy, heavy bombs
to Israel since May over concerns they could be used
on civilians in Gaza.
Still, the administration has gone to lengths to avoid any
suggestion that Israeli forces have crossed that red line during
the current Rafa invasion.
Now, do you think it'll be possible for the US
to continue to walk this fine line, You know, whether
or not it will be possible?
I will say this is likely the fine line that
this administration will try to continue to walk.
And the reason I say this is as the conflict
has escalated, as the civilian death toll in Gaza has
increased, this is the fine line we've continued to see
this administration walk.
We have not sort of fundamentally seen a shift in
policy.
You mentioned that one pause in shipment.
It's a one pause of 2000 LB bombs that was
paused in May.
But beyond that, we have seen in the administration, we've
seen President Biden sign a bill that would provide, you
know, an extensive amount of additional military aid to Israel.
We've seen the president consistently say that he will be
there.
We've seen the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, make similar
comments.
So I think this is the fine line that the
administration is trying to walk.
But I think the challenge that we're going to see
continue to play out is that the United States and
Israel, particularly Israeli government under Netanyahu, may not have the
same fundamental until goals for this conflict.
And the reason I say this is that we have
heard Netanyahu say that he wants total victory.
And we've also heard President Biden warn about the risks
of possibly projecting and wanting that total victory when he
laid out that ceasefire plan.
You know, they don't see that the potential end goal,
I will say entirely the same way.
And I think as this war progresses, that that is
a conversation that is going to be difficult to avoid
having.
Asma Khalid, thank you very much for your analysis.
Now, let's bring the big story to our panel Joining
us today, ABC News contributor and columnist for the Los
Angeles Times, LZ Granderson, ABC News contributor and president of
Next Gen.
America, Christina Sensen Ramirez, ABC News contributor and former Republican
New York congressman John Catco and New York magazine columnist
Laura Bassin.
Now, Laura, let's start with you.
It still appears that the United States will continue to
supply Israel with weapons.
How do you think this decision will affect the Biden
administration heading into November's election?
Well, I think Biden is is really kind of in
between a rock and a hard place with Israel because
he can't seem to please either side.
I think Democrats increasingly, according to the polls, have swung
in the direction of finding this, you know, the the
bombing of civilians in Gaza, morally reprehensible.
Democrats are now siding more with, with Palestinians in this
war, if you want to call it a war, and
many would call it a genocide.
Meanwhile, Republicans will vote for Trump no matter what, and
we'll find a crack in Biden's so, so supposedly unconditional
support for Israel, his unwavering Zionism no matter what.
And so any tiny pause, any statement of concern, any
brief thing that Biden says, it doesn't look like he's
willing to unconditionally send as many bombs as Israel wants
is going to give them an opportunity to say, well,
Trump would be stronger on Israel.
Well, LZ, to that point, voters, they're watching these tensions
between the US and Israel play out right now.
This is a really fine line the administration has to
walk as an ally while trying to broker a ceasefire
deal all during an election year.
Now, do you think this video or these accusations help
or hurt Biden with voters?
Which Biden are you referring to?
The one that's campaigning on, The one that's president of
the United States, because when as president of the United
States obviously is having a difficult time trying to get
Israel, more specifically Benjamin Netanyahu, to work with them in
terms of reaching towards a ceasefire.
So more humanitarian aid gets to the people of Gaza.
But campaigning of Biden may not necessarily mind there being
this tension, this visible tension because young people, Generation Z,
and a lot of people in the far left of
the Democratic Party are not happy with his handling of
Israel and want to see a ceasefire.
And if there's any sort of hint that they're listening,
they may see Netanyahu's video as confirmation that they're hearing
his concern, their concerns.
Now, John, Netanyahu is still expected to address Congress next
month.
And given the current tensions, what do you think we
can expect from this and what do you think lawmakers
need to hear from him during this meeting?
I think that one thing that's been clear with respect
to the Gaza war is that Netanyahu has been the
same all the way through.
And that is we are going to wipe Hamas off
the face of the earth.
And that's his goal.
And that's what he's doing.
And that's what he's going to talk about.
There's no doubt in my mind how the rest of
the the rest of the Congress receives it, whether the
Democrats will boycott it on mass and whether it's going
to be well received.
I I don't know if he cares that much as
long as the aid keeps coming to him.
And I think he has every right to complain if
he's getting aid withheld.
But we have every right to withhold.
And that's part of the president's prerogative.
He's trying to force him to do things that he
might not otherwise want to do.
So I think it's going to be the same old
message from Netanyahu.
And I think what we decide to do is entitlement
in our purview.
Now, Christina, you work with young voters.
How are they viewing this?
And if this conflict continues into November, do you think
that will affect their vote?
You know, it's just like Laura said, you see the
huge portion, in fact the majority of young voters and
Democratic voters wanting a ceasefire and real questions about Netanyahu's
popularity or support, especially with amongst progressives in the Democratic
Party.
And we have to remember Netanyahu was increasingly unpopular, not
just abroad or with progressives, but at home.
People are protesting.
People are seeing that he is prolonging this war and
refusing to have a ceasefire or an exchange for hostages
because he cares about his political survival.
You even had Biden say it and the last interview
he did with Time magazine that there is every reason
to draw the conclusion that Netanyahu is prolonging the war
in Gaza for his own political self preservation.
So the real question is what?
How is the Biden administration going to confront that fact
if the facts are showing that that's where he's headed?
Elsie, Christina, John and Laura, thank you very much.
Coming up, Louisiana now the first state requiring the 10
commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms.
But what about separation of church and state?
Our paddle weighs in on the new law and the
challenge that it may face in the courts when we
come back in our spotlight.
Louisiana becomes the first state requiring the 10 commandments to
be posted in every public school classroom from kindergarten through
college.
Governor Jeff Landry signing the new bill into law as
part of a broader campaign by conservative Christian groups to
amplify public expressions of faith.
Supporters saying the measure has historical significance and will help
people respect the rule of law.
But the American Civil Liberties Union arguing the law is
blatantly unconstitutional and violates the long standing tenet of separation
of church and state.
Let's bring back my panel, LZ, Christina, John and Laura.
LZ, let's start with you.
What's the big deal of posting ideas like honoring your
parents and not lying or stealing?
There's no big deal about that.
Here's the concern.
We're focusing on the governor.
This is really an extension of Mike Johnson.
This is really an extension of the speaker of the
House.
He's from Louisiana, and he's spent the last two decades
trying to do things like have the constitution in classrooms
in the state of Louisiana, but he's working for a
nonprofit organization.
This is all part of his legacy.
I, I, I think that what we really need to
be focusing in on isn't necessarily, you know, just what
Louisiana's doing, but a concerted effort, it appears, from conservatives
to really try to infuse a theocracy in this country.
And they're using every measure that they can possibly, and
they hope to get to the Supreme Court because they
know the Supreme Court may rule in their favor.
So I, I think this is an opportunity for all
of us to really just take a pause and not
look at these individual bills and silos, but see the
connective tissue between them all.
Because it's a pretty clear picture to me that what
they're trying to push in conjunction with the Heritage Foundation
and Project 2025, their mission is pretty clear to me.
Now, John, you're both a lawyer and a former lawmaker.
Critics already vowing to mount a constitutional challenge.
How do you see this playing out?
Well, first of all, I think LG eloquently laid out
one of the arguments, and I think it's a very
good one.
But the fact of the matter is religion is inextricably
intertwined in our nation's history.
We have in God, we trust on our currency.
The 10 commandments are on the door going into the
Supreme Court and run many buildings on the floor of
the House and the floor of the Senate.
We have the likes of Moses looking down upon us.
So it's not like there's this bright line which can
be easily discerned.
But I I read a lot of what else he's
saying.
Is this a slide towards trying to create theocracy within
schools.
Well, if it isn't, it's probably should be struck down.
But if it's trying to like, say this is part
of the fundamental basis for law and order in this
country and in the world, well, that's a different story.
I think it's a fascinating argument and I don't know
which way it's going to go.
But I agree with LZ that if you are betting,
if you're a betting man, you could bet that the
Supreme Court's probably going to tilt in this in favor
of Louisiana.
But I'm not sure that's that's the right way to
go.
Now, Christina, the governor says this law will, quote, bring
back common sense and restore morals.
What do you think?
But I think it's up to parents to teach their
children moral and ethics.
This is clearly unconstitutional.
Time and again, efforts like this have been found to
be unconstitutional.
The same people that are opposing IVF and supporting abortion
bans, that are using the levers of government to insert
their religious viewpoints on the American public are pushing this
forward.
And where I agree with John is that their goal
is to take this all the way up to the
Supreme Court.
They have spent decades stacking the Supreme Court with people
that are religiously minded in their viewpoint instead of constitutionally
minded.
And so they want to take this to the Supreme
Court and and impose that viewpoint, just like they did
with overturning our right to abortion access.
They want to do that in schools and impose religious
viewpoints in our schools, which in our founding fathers viewpoints
would have been considered unconstitutional.
And Laura, the words separation of church and state don't
actually appear in the Constitution, but the concept comes from
the First Amendment in freedom of religion.
What do you think the ramifications of this are nationwide?
Look, I mean, several conservative states have been trying to
do this for a while.
Texas tried last year and failed.
You know, the the Supreme Court already struck down a
similar, a similar law in Kentucky in 1980.
I think that this is part of Project 2025.
I think Jeff Landry is peacocking a little bit trying
to get a spot in, in Trump's cabinet, kind of
knowing, I mean, he said, he said, I'm looking forward
to being sued.
Jeff Landry well knows that this is unconstitutional.
And, you know, parents in Louisiana, if they want to
send their kid to a classroom that has the 10
commandments on the wall, they can send them to a,
a Christian School or a Catholic school.
There are plenty of religious schools.
I went to one, you know, but there's no reason
to put this in public school classrooms where there are
non believing people, where there are Muslim people, where there's
a wide variety of of religious diversity that isn't being
respected here.
LZ, Christina, John and Laura, thank you for your insight
and please stay with us.
You know that sound time for our last call.
It's Netflix and chill.
But instead of watching at home, you can experience it
at the mall.
Now Netflix is hoping you'll do just that.
The streaming giant is making use of the empty space
left in America's malls and planning to build its first
of two Netflix House locations inside vacant department store spaces.
Now, the so-called experiential entertainment venues are set to open
next year in King of Prussia, PA and in Dallas,
TX and will feature shopping outlets, eateries and activities tied
to the streamers major franchises like Bridgerton, Stranger Things Things
and Squid Game.
Now let's bring back our panel, LZ, Christina, John and
Laura.
Christina, is Netflix House just the beginning for the company's
real world experience?
Could they be the next Disney?
I mean, I think people want, I see increasingly people
wanting more things in in real life, but I don't
know if that's going to be for Netflix.
I live in Austin, TX.
I'm going to be truthful.
I'm not driving up to Dallas to go see any
of them.
I can watch it at home and be comfortable in
my at my house.
So I appreciate the intent.
But I will say, you know, turning empty mall square
footage into something usable is great.
My community recently turned into Community College.
That would be cooler than to go see Bridgerton or
whatever in Dallas.
OK, well, Laura, knowing Netflix, they're going to bring out
all the bells and whistles for this project.
Do you think they'll be successful?
I mean, no, to be honest, I don't.
I think that the entire purpose of Netflix, the entire
reason that the streaming industry exploded and has been kind
of burying movie theaters, is because people want to watch
from home.
I mean, there's a reason why the phrase Netflix and
chill exist.
It's because people want to sit on their couches with
a blanket in their pajamas and chill and stream these
movies, not go and have, you know, the Bridgerton experience.
I just can't.
Maybe I'm a curmudgeon.
I just can't even imagine.
We all just never want to leave our homes again.
Isn't that so, guys?
Now, John, would you leave the comfort of your own
home?
You you to experience Netflix live?
Would you do this?
Borrow a famous movie line?
I'd rather stick needles in my eye.
Heck no, I do not want to do that.
I want to stay at home and enjoy.
Enjoy it in my own home.
OK, let's we'll, we'll lay off the the the eye
poking for this one.
Now, LZ, what do you think about this whole thing?
I mean, you're 4 for four.
It's Netflix and chill, not Netflix and go Netflix and
park, not Netflix and play over too much money for
coke or whatever your Sodor choice is.
It's Netflix and chill.
So if you're going to have a Netflix experience, it
should be one that says, chill, How about a bunch
of couches, some hookah lounges, maybe I may do that.
But if you're talking about, you know, just sitting around
in an amusement park, basically in the mall, Nah, you
miss me with that one.
I don't.
I don't want nothing to do with that.
It's unanimous.
No, go ahead, go ahead.
I said it's unanimous.
Now what can I say?
But I will say this, people, they always talk about
how they want to have those shared experiences for special
occasions like a series finale or a big, you know,
fight or something like that.
Why not let people enjoy together?
Look, I think some people are going to go on.
I think some people are going to go that are
huge fans, but it's not a repeat experience.
You're probably going to go do it'll be like a
novelty, a once thing.
Checked it off my list, and for me, it's not
even going to be a novelty that I want to
do, but somebody out there is going to want to
do it.
It's just not going to be, for me, fun playing
Squid Game for real.
What's that, you know, they need to do with the
space?
They need to turn all these empty spaces into roller
rings.
The punch would be so much better if more people
were really skating.
Elsie, are you there?
There we go.
We got a lot of ideas.
Let's all set up a meeting with Netflix to see
if we can get this thing going.
Thank you.
And that is our last call for this half hour.
LZ, Christina, John and Laura, thank you so much and
thank you for streaming with us.
I'm Micah Giacci.
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