SHOCK MOMENT: ABA President Won't Answer When Asked If She Wants Israel Or Hamas To Win By Jordan

[0:00] and thank the witnesses for being here. We're now going to move on to the question and answer [0:04] portion of our hearing and we'll begin with Chairman Jordan. I now recognize Chairman Jordan [0:11] for five minutes. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Ms. Banke, a press statement November 30th, 2023 [0:16] headline reads American Bar Association withdraws two statements on Israel-Hamas war. [0:22] Why did the ABA withdraw those statements? Congressman, I am the president and became [0:28] the president last August. The process for either making statements or withdrawing statements, [0:34] those particular statements happened outside of my time in presidency. I understand that but why [0:39] did they do it? The president of the same association that withdrew the statements, you know why they did [0:43] it? Each year when the ABA takes positions they do so based on policy that has been adopted by our [0:52] Who are the good guys in the Israel-Hamas war Ms. Banke? When we adopt policy. Oh that wasn't my [0:59] question. I just asked you a new question. Who are the good guys in the Israel-Hamas war? [1:03] I have nothing to add other than we adopted policy. Simple question. Israel's our ally. One of our best [1:09] friends. They were attacked on October 7th. One of these statements that was withdrawn by the ABA [1:13] came out on October 9th. Two days after women and children were killed and raped and taken hostage, [1:18] villages destroyed. Israel's fighting a terrorist organization. I'm asking you a simple question. [1:23] Who are the good guys? Israel or the terrorist organization? The ABA adopted policy and when the ABA [1:29] adopts policy then statements are issued and those are the decisions. I'm not asking about the [1:33] statements right now. Forget the statements for a second. I'm asking you a simple question. [1:37] Who do you want to win? Israel or the terrorist organization? I have nothing further to add. [1:41] My personal opinion is not relevant. I am here as the president of the American Bar Association. [1:46] You took statements down. Statements that were issued two days after Israel was attacked. [1:51] The statements were taken down because they were deeply flawed because they suggested Israel was guilty [1:56] of war crimes. That was ridiculous and you took those statements down. Now I'm asking you as the [2:00] head of the Bar Association, who are the good guys in this conflict? Our friend and ally Israel or the [2:06] terrorist organization Hamas? This is not a trick question. It's actually a simple question. [2:10] I have nothing further to add. You won't answer. Third sentence of your written testimony, you said [2:16] that the American Bar Association is a non-partisan organization. Is that really true? [2:22] Yes, sir, it is. Really? Do you take any partisan positions as the American Bar Association? [2:28] The ABA takes position when our House of Delegates... The association opposes any law that restricts [2:34] abortion. This came out after the Dobbs decision. That's pretty partisan. The American Bar Association [2:41] opposes detention of individuals who are here illegally. Any migrants who break our immigration [2:46] laws, you oppose detention. Those sound pretty partisan positions to me. Would you agree? [2:51] The ABA takes positions by our House of Delegates, which is made up of 600 lawyers from across the [2:57] country. When we take positions, we do so based on the information that we believe is... [3:03] How about men and women's sports? Do you have a position on that? [3:07] I don't have a list of all of our... I'll read from the American Bar Association adopted by the [3:13] House of Delegates, August 9, 2021 resolution. The American Bar Association opposes any federal, [3:20] state, local, territorial, tribal regulation or policy that prohibits transgender students [3:24] from participating in athletics in accordance with their gender identity. Sounds like you're [3:29] for men and women's sports to me. Our House of Delegates adopted a resolution based on the [3:35] discussion and debate of our 600 member board of our House of Delegates. I've never heard of a [3:42] nonpartisan organization that's for unrestricted abortion, no detention for people who break our [3:47] immigration law and who want men and women's sports. I've never heard of a nonpartisan [3:52] organization adopt those positions. You still say you're nonpartisan? [3:56] I do, sir. [3:57] Wow, that's amazing. Nonpartisan and won't tell us who you want to win the war, our ally [4:03] or a terrorist organization. Mr. Smith, the marketplace has a way of speaking. How many lawyers do we [4:08] have in the United States of America? [4:10] Several million. [4:11] Several million. Do you know how many are in the American Bar Association? I think it's like [4:15] 1.5 million lawyers in the country. Some some some people might think that's too [4:19] many. I don't know that that is or isn't. But 1.5 million, I think. How many do you [4:23] know are in the Bar Association? Members of the ABA? I don't know that number off the top. [4:28] Like 200 and some thousand. So most lawyers say I don't want to join this nonpartisan [4:33] organization. You think maybe it has something to do with their partisanship [4:37] why they don't want to join? Well I think that's the reason you're seeing state [4:40] Supreme Courts moving away from having the ABA act as the gatekeeper for lawyers to be [4:45] able to sit. Several states are doing that right? Tennessee, Texas, Florida say we [4:49] don't want these guys who can't even tell us that they want our ally to win a war who [4:55] take all kinds of left-wing positions and then pretend to be nonpartisan. We [4:59] don't want them doing the accreditation for our law schools in our respective [5:02] states. Is that accurate? That is accurate. Yeah and I think it's the marketplace [5:05] speaking. The American people, American lawyers are saying no no no we're tired of [5:09] this left-wing operation. Yes I think that is accurate Congressman. I will go back to the [5:15] chairman. Thank you chairman Jordan and I now recognize Mr.