House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended the United States’ relationship with Israel, pointing out that it is “really important” to have an ally and partner like Israel in “that corner of the world.”
During an interview on the Katie Miller Podcast, which will premiere on Tuesday night, Johnson said he wished that the division in the Republican Party over who is antisemitic and who is not could be put aside. In the clip that was provided to Breitbart News exclusively ahead of its public release, Johnson also said he wished people would “acknowledge the importance” of the relationship with Israel.
“Do you believe — because you just said Benjamin Netanyahu was a great world leader, who you’ve come to know — do you believe it is overblown, the schism in the Republican Party, over the idea of antisemitism and those who are claiming one person is and one person isn’t?” host Katie Miller asked Johnson.
“I wish we could put that aside, and I wish that everybody would acknowledge the importance of that relationship,” Johnson said. “And, as has been noted, there are lots of scripturally based, biblical reasons to support Israel. But, even if you don’t accept that, you have to look at this objectively and say, it’s really important to have that ally and partner in that corner of the world.”
Johnson continued to describe Israel as “the only stable democracy in the Middle East.”
“You can make all sorts of arguments of why this is a really important friendship and alliance, but the antisemitism stuff ought to be universally rejected and called out. I’m very insistent about that,” Johnson added. “We gotta love everybody. And, certainly, the Jewish people.”