>> ERIC: IN THE NEXT HOUR, WE'LL EXAMINE HEALTH DISPARITIES IN MINNESOTA, KAOMI LEE TAKES US TO A RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA THAT IS FOCUSING EFFORTS ON DECOLONIZATION, AND A COUCH FULL OF POLITICOS ANALYZES...

POLITICS.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH THE BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL NEWS OF THE WEEK, LAST WEEKEND'S BRUTAL HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL, FOLLOWED BY ISRAEL'S DECLARATION OF WAR ON HAMAS, HAS LEFT THOUSANDS DEAD OR MISSING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE GAZA STRIP.

SEVERAL VIGILS HAVE BEEN HELD ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES THIS WEEK, INCLUDING ONE AT BETH EL SYNAGOGUE IN ST. LOUIS PARK.

STEVE HUNEGS WAS AT THAT GATHERING.

HE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA AND THE DAKOTAS.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> GOOD EVENING, CATHY, GOOD EVENING, ERIC.

>> Cathy: EX ONLY IMAGINE THE PAIN AND THE ANGER IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.

HOW ARE FOLKS DEALING WITH THIS?

>> THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS A LINE FROM THE YEPECHENKO POEM, BLOODY ARE.

IT'S BLOOD RUSHING OVER THE STREAMS.

THAT'S IN KILLING FIELDS, IN UKRAINE, WORLD WAR II.

OF COURSE WE LIVE IN A DIFFERENT TIME.

ISRAEL HAS THE IDEA YOU HAVE TO DEFEND THE NATION AND I WOULD SAY ISRAEL HAS A POWERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES, RIGHT?

BACK-STOPPING ISRAEL, SO WE DO LIVE IN A DIFFERENT TIME BUT WHEN JEWS SEE BARBARITY, ATROCITIES, MACHINE-GUNNING, BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, KILLING OF CHILDREN, THIS HAS A STRONG HISTORICAL RELEVANCE AND RESONANCE WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OF COURSE WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS HUGE.

SOLIDARITY GATHERING THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, TUESDAY, AT BETH EL.

SENATOR KLOBUCHAR WORK, GOVERNOR WALZ SPOKE, A LETTER FROM TOM EMMER.

SO THE DELEGATION IN MINNESOTA IS VERY SUPPORTING OF ISRAEL.

THAT'S COMFORTING.

>> Eric: WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AND OTHERS WHO EXPRESSED SYMPATHY FOR THE PALESTINIANS IN THE SITUATION?

>> IT'S EVEN DEEPER THAN THAT, THOUGH, ERIC.

THE FIRST AT THE SAME TIME FROM THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AND BY THE WAY, KEN MARTIN, OF THE DFL, HAS OFF TO HIM FOREHIS TALKING BACK AND SEEKING ESSENTIALLY EXPULSION FROM THE DSA.

>> Eric: THEY TOOK A SECOND SWING AT THEIR STATEMENT, I GUESS.

>> LET'S LOOK AT THE FIRST STATEMENT FIRST.

NO MENTION OF HAMAS, ZERO, NO MENTION OF TERRORISM, DESPITE THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED.

WHAT'S THE LAST LINE?

WE BELIEVE IN LIBERATION OF PALESTINIAN FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

NO ROOM FOR ISRAEL, ENDS OF ISRAEL, EXTERMINATION OF ISRAEL.

YES, TODAY, THEY ISSUED A SECOND STATEMENT.

TOO LATE, NO CORRECT TO THAT STATEMENT, NO REPUDIATION OF THE LINE FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, HAS NO CREDIBILITY AS FAR AS I'M ONCERNED.

>> Cathy: FORMER HAMAS LEADER WAS CABLING TODAY FOR A DAY OF RAGE, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PRO-MINERALLIES AROUND THE WORLD.

ARE JEWS CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY, INCLUDING HERE IN MINNESOTA?

>> COMMUNITY SECURITY IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE JCRCR ORGANIZATION, THAT'S ONE OF OUR MISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY AND PLEASED TO REPORT THAT AS EVER, WE HAVE MULTIPLE LEVELS OF COOPERATION AT ALL LEVELS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, STATE, LOCAL, FEDERAL.

WE FEEL VERY SECURE IN THE COMMUNITY.

AT TUESDAY'S EVENT, WE HAD 2,000 PEOPLE, ANOTHER 1,000 WATCHED ONLINE, IT WAS VERY SECURE EVENT.

NEVERTHELESS, WE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

USUALLY, UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THERE ARE FLARE-UPS, IT'S FAR MORE THAN A SNARE-UP, IT'S A WAR NOW IN THE MIDDLE EAST BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS.

YOU HAVE A SPILL-OVER EFFECT.

2021, MAY, WHEN THE LEVEL OF CONFRONTATION WAS MUCH LOWER, YOU HAD JEWS BEATEN IN THE STREETS IN NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, BECAUSE THEY WERE PERCEIVED AS SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL OR WERE OUT DEMONSTRATING ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL.

>> Eric: IS THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ONE MIND ON THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE?

>> NO.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT MINDS.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE.

I THINK SAY THAT THE CONFLICT, THE HAMAS TERRORISM, THE BARBARISM, HAS BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, IT'S BROUGHT ISRAEL TOGETHER, TOO.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED USUALLY WITH THE DEBATE OVER THE DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT IN ISRAEL.

ISRAEL'S CALLED UP 360,000 RESERVISTS, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER WORLD, VEN PEOPLE WHO ARE BEYOND MILITARY AGE ARE RETURNING TO ISRAEL.

IF HAMAS THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO EXPLOIT DIVISIONS BETWEEN THE ISRAEL SOCIETY, THE EXACT OPPOSITE HAS HAPPENED.

>> Eric: BUT IF SOMEONE SAYS I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE OR ISRAEL CITIZENS, MY BEEF IS WITH THE NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF AMERICAN JEWS HOLD THAT OPINION, TOO.

I'M NOT SURE HOW IT RELATES TO -- YOU MAY HAVE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION WITH THE NET AN YAW HUE GOVERNMENT, THERE ARE A LOT OF JEWS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS BUT ISRAEL HAS THE INVIABLE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS.

YOU'RE AND HAMAS CHARTER SAYS WHAT?

>> DESTROY ISRAEL, DESTROY THE JEWS.

THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR JEWS IN THE MIDDLE EAST UNDERSTAND THE HARASS CHARTER.

>> Eric: HOW DOES THIS ENDS OR DOES IT?

>> AFTER 100 YEARS, IT'S HARD TO BE OPTIMISTIC, I HAVE TO SAY.

ON THE OTHER HAND, BEN GURION WOULD ALWAYS SAY THAT BELIEVING IN MIRACLES IS THE WORK OF A REALIST, I WOULD SAY AFTER THE I DON'T KNOW KUPUR WAR IN 1963, AND THAT WHEREAS A CONFLICT BETWEEN SOVEREIGN STATES, ISRAEL AND SYRIA, BUT OUT OF THE '73 WAR ULTIMATELY CAME THE EGYPT-ISRAEL PEACE TREATY.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AND HOW THAT CAME TO MASS BUT THAT IS THE FACT THAT THAT CONFLICT LED TO PEACE AND BEGAN THE WAY WITH PLEASE FOREISRAEL AND ITS NEIGHBORS.

HARD TO SEE, THOUGH, COMING OUTS OF THIS CONFLICT RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING OVER.

>> CATHY: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, STEVE.

WE'LL CONTIN