from WNYC studios. I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Monday,

March 18th. It was an unusual St. Patrick's Day politically as Ireland's Prime Minister,

Leo Veratkar, met with President Biden in

Washington. They spoke to reporters less about Dublin or D.C. and more about Gaza. And listeners,

if you didn't know, the Irish people have long had a reputation as perhaps the most sympathetic

in Europe to the plight of the Palestinians.

Addressing Biden and reporters, Prime Minister Varadka yesterday affirmed that and gave a reason why.

Mr. President, as you know, the Irish people are deeply troubled about the catastrophe that's unfolding before our eyes in Gaza.

And when I travel the world, leaders often ask me why the Irish have such empathy for the

Palestinian people.

And the answer is simple.

We see our history in their eyes.

The Irish had their long history of being under occupation, and they identify.

But if Veracar wants something different in Gaza because he's Irish,

Chuck Schumer wants it too because he's Jewish.

My last name is Schumer, which derives from the Hebrew word Shomer, or Guardian.

Of course, my first responsibility is to America and to New York. But as the first

Jewish majority leader of the United States Senate and the highest ranking Jewish elected

official in America ever, I also feel very keenly my responsibility as a Shomer Israel, a guardian of the people

of Israel. The Senate Majority Leader from Brooklyn, whose 45-minute floor speech on Thursday is

making waves around the world, opening with that declaration

of his identity before saying the Israeli government has been, quote, too willing to tolerate the

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