Sojourner Truth: Tuesday January 10, 2023

Today on Sojourner Truth, after only two weeks in power, the most religious and conservative government in the history of Israel is already cultivating divisions at home and rushing towards conflict with the Palestinians and Israel’s allies abroad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters his 16th year in power with an ultra nationalist agenda that includes banning displaying the Palestinian flag and a proposed legal assault on Israel’s Supreme Court that could alter the foundations of Israel’s democracy. We speak to world renown peace activist and director of the New Internationalism Project at The Institute for Policy Studies, Phyllis Bennis on the situation in Israel.

Meanwhile the U.S. enters its 118th Congress with changes across party lines. Representative Hakeem Jeffries was elected to succeed longtime Democratic leader as the House Minority leader. A position held by Rep. Nancy Pelosi for over 20 years.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi was also the first woman Speaker of the House in U.S. history, who led the Democratic Party, who held the house majority for four presidential terms. Republicans are now the majority in the house and the process of replacing her with Republican CA Senator Kevin McCarthy turned into a week long saga taking over 15 rounds of votes, until he finally received the 20 votes he needed from his party to be elected, having to make several controversial concessions to far right MAGA Republicans that initially voted vs him.

We discuss the imminent danger of these concessions, as well as the aftermath of widespread voter suppression during the 2022 midterm, the shift in the house and of course the ardent speech that has since gone viral, delivered by Representative Hakeem Jeffries as he opened the 2023 118th Congressional session, with civil rights legend, President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition and attorney, Barbara Arnwine.