CNN "The Lead" - TRANSCRIPT Blinken Reiterates Support For Two-State Solution; Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Is Interviewed About Two-State Solution; Rep. Santos Steps Down From Committees As His Claims Are Investigated; GOP Rep. Gaetz Undecided On Removing Rep. Omar From Key Committee; Winter Storm Brings Ice, Sleet, Snow To Southern & Central U.S.; Alec Baldwin & Armorer Formally Charged In Movie Set Death; Study: Eating Ultra- Processed Foods May Increase Cancer Risk. Aired 5-6p ET
Interview
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Let's bring in Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York. He is the former chairman and current ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Congressman, good to see you. So, you just heard Kylie Atwood discuss that the U.S. is still pushing the two-state solution despite no signs of any progress and no endorsement of it from the Israeli prime minister. Is the two state solution now an unrealistic goal for the U.S., to have? Does it undermine our own impotence to keep pushing for something that Netanyahu is pretty clearly not on the program for?
REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY), RANKING MEMBER, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: I think that is much needed and very important to say that we have to have a two state solution. To not to have one is not good for Israel, not good for the United States, not good for the Palestinians. You know, if you talk about a one state solution, then you're talking about having 6 million Palestinians in Israel where they may not have the equal rights.
So, we need to make sure that there is a two state solution. We need to be strong on that with all parties. And there's mechanisms that we've got to try to get there by having the dialogue and conversation that I think that Secretary Blinken was talking about and deescalating. That's what has to happen right now, the deescalation of violence.
Too much violence is going on right now. We saw the Palestinian terrorists killing a number of Jews in synagogue, and then we see the increased violence in the settlements to the Palestinians. That tension must be reduced, and it has to be reduced immediately.
You know, we met today with King Abdullah of Jordan, and he said that, you know, we need to reduce it before Ramadan. And so -- and that we should do so in a collective way. So I think that the focus first is reduce the tensions that currently exist and then push forward so that we can again start talking about the whereabouts of a two state solution. And we know that means, you know, telling the Palestinians that they
have to have a coordinated effort to keep peace and to stop, you know, Palestinian terrorists from coming over, as well as telling Prime Minister Netanyahu that they've got to stop the settlements would have taken place to the expansion, what prevents a two-state solution from occurring.
TAPPER: So, Netanyahu's new government was formed with members of two parties that are to the right of Netanyahu. A couple of the ministers in his cabinet are -- have some really controversial actions and statements in the past, not even that far in the past. Even some of Israel's most staunch supporters, such as former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, said, quote, "The more things get out of hand in the West Bank, either from settlement activity or from violence, the more pressure from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on President Joe Biden will grow. While he will resist it because he's fundamentally pro-Israel, nevertheless he cannot ignore it."
Do you think that there are going to be some serious fractures in the U.S. Israel friendship because of this new far right Netanyahu government?
MEEKS: Here's what I know, the United States Congress will stand strong in supporting the security of Israel. The memorandum of understanding that we have is unequivocal, and we will stand with Israel and its security, you know, that we understand the region, whether you're talking about what's taking place in Syria, what's taking place in Lebanon, what's taking place with Iran, so we've got to make sure that we -- that will not break, that's not going to tatter, that's going to stand strong.
At the same time, I do have concerns about people in the Netanyahu government who are to the extreme also. And I think that is something that we have to speak up about. And I have surely a lot of disagreements with what they said. So, just as, you know, there's differences of opinion on different leaders, we're strongly, the United States Congress is strongly for the security of Israel and want to develop an economic strategy to give the people of Palestine some hope.
And I think that here's where the members of the Abraham Accords become really important, because then we can talk about a collective coming together so that the young men and women that you showed on your report can have a sense of hope in Palestine. You know, and I visited there and I've talked to them as well as talking to young people in Israel, and that's what they want. They want a sense of hope. And then their chance of living together side by side in peace, that's what the Abraham Accord is about. And I think that we can do that and coordinate that with some of the other Arab countries that are part of it.
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TAPPER: The U.S. provides nearly $4 billion in aid to Israel each year as part of a long term agreement. President Obama made U.S. -- it has, of course, helped Israel develop as one of the most advanced economies and militaries in the world. Are you at all concerned about how that funding could be used by this new, more conservative Netanyahu government?
MEEKS: Jake, I am not concerned yet. That's why I think that there has to be the dialogue. That's why I'm glad that Secretary Blinken happens to be there at the right time. I think there has to be that continued conversation. But the United States will stand by.
You know, look, the Middle East is a region that is very dangerous and because of the other countries that I've talked about, we know the threat from Iran, we know the threat from, you know, Syria, we know what a Lebanon that becomes a failed state, what that would mean. And so therefore, we have to make sure that the people of Israel is safe, that's unequivocal and the United States Congress will stand by that. The people of Israel must be safe, and that's why there will be no separation therein.
And if we see somebody crossing the line, then we will have to stand up and say, this is not tolerable. I mean, this is what we've got to do. That's why I've said that it's got to be on both sides. It's got to be a way that, you know, for example, the United States has programs that are on the ground now of which we need to move further so that we could talk about diplomacy a little more, reduce tension and get compromised.
And I think bringing the sides together, in fact, King Abdullah said there should be some kind of way summit, if you will, of all of the Abraham Accords and individual out of states in Israel. Unfortunately, on the Palestinian side, as you have indicated on this show, the head of the Palestinian Authority is very weak. And so, there's a problem there on that side because of the weakness of the leadership of the Palestinians. But --
TAPPER: Yes.
MEEKS: -- right now, reduce the tensions and then let's try to figure out how we get this compromise and some diplomacy in so that we don't have a devastation.
And, Jake, I'm worried because as King Abdullah said, a lot of this has to be done before Ramadan, because if not it could be --
TAPPER: Yes.
MEEKS: -- catastrophic.
TAPPER: Democratic Congressman, Gregory Meeks, Ranking Democrat on House Foreign Affairs, I hear you have a vote there. Thanks so much.
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