Israel and Gaza Trade Fire; GOP Rushes to Embrace Immigration Reform
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Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are exchanging rocket fire, and Israel is mobilizing for a possible ground attack. Also, last week's election returns have Republicans and Democrats talking about immigration reform. We look at the prospects for resolving an issue with long-term economic, cultural and political consequences.
Banner image: Florida Senator Marco Rubio, seen at the US-Mexico border with Customs and Border Protection officials, is one of several Republican Congressmen calling for immigration reform.
Making News
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv under Fire, Israel Threatens Ground Attack on Gaza ()
Jerusalem is sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians, and it's been thought immune to attacks from any of the players in the troubled Middle East. But today, rocket attacks, presumably from the Gaza Strip, fell close enough to trigger air raids and panic in the holy city. Israel says it's prepared for a ground invasion. We hear updates from Jerusalem and Gaza City.
Guests:
- Dan Ephron: Newsweek/Daily Beast
- Jodi Rudoren: New York Times, @rudoren
- Jon Alterman: Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Shibley Telhami: University of Maryland
Links:
Main Topic
Obama Pushes Immigration Reform and GOP Rushes to Embrace It ()
Has the moment finally arrived for "comprehensive immigration reform?" Election returns have Republicans focused on the growing Latino vote, as President Obama calls for bipartisanship on immigration reform. At this week's news conference, he emphasized that it "has not historically been a partisan issue…so we need to seize the moment, and my expectation is that we'll get a bill introduced… the process very soon." While stressing the need to secure our borders and enforce our laws, House Speaker John Boehner acknowledged, that "a comprehensive approach is long overdue" and expressed confidence the there was common ground to resolve the issue. Even influential, conservative Fox News columnist Sean Hannity says he's done a complete about face. But "legal status" for undocumented workers sounds like "amnesty" to hard liners. What about sealing the border and setting "skill levels" for newcomers?
Guests:
- Julia Preston: New York Times, @JuliaPrestonNYT
- Mo Brooks: House of Representatives (R-AL), @RepMoBrooks
- Roberto Suro: University of Southern California, @robertosuro
- Heather Mac Donald: Manhattan Institute, @ManhattanInst
Links:
- Preston on Obama's confidence in early action on immigration reform
- Preston on Republicans' reconsideration of immigration positions
- Suro's 'Writing Immigration: Scholars and Journalists in Dialogue'
- Mac Donald's 'The Immigration Solution: A Better Plan than Today's'
- Mac Donald on why Hispanics don't vote for Republicans
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