The House speaker hobnobbed with far-right extremists in Israel

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     November 3, 2023 We've learned a lot about the new Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, over the past week. He once [urged]( a religious test for politicians. He [wants]( to make it harder to get divorced. He [blamed]( abortions for school shootings. He has [described]( being gay as "inherently unnatural" and "dangerous," and [warned]( that legalizing gay marriage could unleash “chaos and sexual anarchy.” And now, thanks to [new reporting]( from my colleague [David Corn](, we're learning even more about how this fundamentalism shapes his policy positions: Johnson hobnobbed with far-right extremists during a February 2020 trip to Israel with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). While there, he also denied the historical and ongoing oppression of Palestinians, claiming: "You hear in the US about how the Palestinians or the Arab people are oppressed in these areas, and have these terrible lives. None of that is true. We didn’t see any of it." The reality is, of course, more complex, as evinced by the humanitarian crisis currently [unfolding]( in Gaza, the attacks on [health care workers]( and [journalists](, and the suffering of [pregnant women]( and [children](. As David writes: "This visit to Israel—Johnson’s second—seems to have influenced the future speaker’s views regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Those views are also influencing what goes on in the chamber he now leads: Just yesterday, the House passed a bill that would [provide]( $14 billion in aid to Israel by defunding the IRS—a move the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said would [add]( $27 billion to the deficit. There's lots of other news related to the Israel-Hamas war—which has now [left]( more than 9,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis dead—on the Mother Jones site today; check out more of that reporting below. And that concludes my first week writing the newsletter. If you like it, make sure to forward to family and friends—they can [sign up here](. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend! —Julianne McShane Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [During a Trip to Israel, Mike Johnson Connected With Far-Right Extremists]( While there he denied Palestinians were "oppressed in these areas." BY DAVID CORN FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store Are you a Mother Funder? If you are, buy the shirt as well! Go to the official Mother Jones Store and show your support beyond the pages. [Check us out!]( [Trending] [Dozens of reporters have been killed covering the Israel-Hamas war. A press freedom group is calling for a war crimes investigation.]( BY JULIANNE MCSHANE   [Dick Durbin is the first senator to call for a ceasefire in Gaza]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL   [The dangerous history behind Netanyahu's Amalek rhetoric]( BY NOAH LANARD   [Don't laugh. Salt pollution is a serious problem.]( BY KATE YODER Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Inside the psychiatric hospitals where foster kids are a "gold mine"]( How a scandal-plagued health care giant profits off a failing child welfare system. BY JULIA LURIE [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755