Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas, who represents California's 52nd district, defended Israel's right to determine the structure of its judiciary this week.
Speaking with Israel Hayom recently during a visit to Israel, Vargas, who describes himself as a liberal and progressive lawmaker, said that it would be inappropriate to chime in on this matter because its a domestic issue, and also because the US has a bad track record when it comes to the conduct of its own judiciary.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
"I see it as an internal matter that I wouldn't comment on. Because, again, in the United States, I think that our Supreme Court has been corrupted," he noted. "Our Supreme Court is corrupted, because you have three liberals, and you have six conservatives, and they don't vote now, based on the law. They vote based on their politics. It's not the law is their politics. And now, since there's six conservatives, you always know which way they're gonna vote because they're conservative. So it's, it's tough for us to criticize anybody else, so who are we to criticize how other people pick their Supreme Court?"
Q: People have warned that Israel would cease being a democracy if the reforms pass, what's your reaction?
"It's ridiculous. This is ridiculous. I mean, you know, is this the smartest idea? I don't know. Is it the dumbest idea? I don't know. I mean, that's for the Israelis to fight about. But it's not for me to decide. In the United States, I think what we have is a very corrupted system. And I'd like to see more Supreme Court justices, you know, so they call it stacking the court. Wish we could appoint a whole bunch. So it balances it off."
Q: People are saying in Israel, there is kind of a common wisdom, that if you are a liberal Democrat that means we already lost any kind of support to the State of Israel, that we lost the liberals.
"Whenever there is a vote in Congress, and there are 360 voting for something and 65 voting against, I am one of the 65. So for example, condemning socialism, I was one of the 65 people who voted no....So I'm a progressive, I'm a liberal, and I sit on the Progressive Caucus. [But] there is a whole bunch of us who support Israel. It's the only democracy here. I mean, is it perfect? No. But boy, the United States isn't perfect either. That being said, I don't comment on the internal politics of another nation, especially when I am there."
Q: When people claim that the progressives are against us, that's not true?
"No. Let's assume that we have a vote to support Israel on something important, like Iron Dome, you would probably have 410 people in favor. And maybe 15, or maybe 20 against."
Q: So bipartisan support for Israel is still here?
"Completely. Yeah. I mean, we'll find out again, because every year, you know, we do the $3.8 billion in funding. And every year the votes are about the same."
Vargas arrived in Israel as part of a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers who got a tour of the country under the auspices of the US Israel Education Association, an organization dedicated "to educate and serve senior government leaders who are directly involved in advancing cooperation between the United States and Israel."
They met with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. As part of their visit, they saw the Israeli-Palestinian industrial center in Ariel, which has been described as a model for coexistence.
They presented Netanyahu with a bipartisan plan to open a branch of the Food and Drug Administration in Israel so that the country and the region could become a medical production powerhouse.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
