On this episode of Stay Free With Russell Brand Live from Washington, D.C., Russell Brand is joined by special presidential envoy for hostages Adam Bowler and Palestinian businessman Bashar Masri to discuss the Inauguration Day events, including the pardoning of Anthony Fauci and the Jan 6 Committee, and what that means for the age old topic of corruption.
00:02:34.000Thanks for joining me today for Stay Free with Russell Brand, live from Washington, D.C. Whilst an inauguration might be regarded simply as a ceremony, it has a lot packed into it.
00:02:46.000And as the sirens that pass, the rumble studios indicate, there is always suppressed chaos amidst apparent order.
00:02:55.000You might be watching us on YouTube that's probably not as censored as much today as it was yesterday.
00:03:00.000You might be watching me from X or Facebook or any of the places where...
00:03:06.000Oligarchs now align in the rotunda to pay homage and bend the knee at the new augmentation, inauguring and implementation of a new set of power.
00:03:18.000But ceremonial power is but one thing.
00:03:22.000And from where is that authority derived?
00:03:26.000And who will be the beneficiaries of that power?
00:03:28.000In short, what meaningful changes can we urgently and immediately anticipate under this MAGA revolution, under this transition of power?
00:03:38.000Let me know in the comments and chat what you're anticipating and how you feel in particular about the pardoning of Fauci and the Jan 6 Committee and what that indicates when it comes to the age-old topic of corruption.
00:03:52.000Joining me in Rumble Studios today, and this is a staggering and astonishing, and I can't believe that it's actually happening, is the special presidential envoy for hostages, Adam Bowler.
00:04:06.000It's pretty exciting that you're here.
00:04:07.000I know that you're just taking a few moments to be with us before joining President Trump and the new government, of whom you are a member for the event of the Capital One Stadium.
00:04:20.000Yes, I'll be there with the president.
00:04:22.000Yeah, that's pretty interesting and exciting.
00:04:24.000Thanks for joining us in the midst of this giddy, giddy carnival.
00:04:27.000Also, Bashar Masri, a leading Palestinian, perhaps the leading Palestinian businessman, is joining us.
00:04:35.000And I suppose that's significant given that you, Adam, are here in your capacity as a hostage negotiator with some interesting stories to tell us, some interesting revelations about the situation not only in the Middle East but across the world and how that will likely be impacted by this new administration.
00:04:51.000Very curious that someone who's so obviously pro-Israel, as yourself, you are Jewish yourself, and I guess anyone who's followed your political career in the last administration will be surprised that you are joined by Bashar Mazri.
00:05:05.000And I suppose, look, I'm not an expert on that region.
00:05:07.000It seems that no one in the world is an expert on that extraordinary part of the world and all of its significance.
00:05:13.000But Bashar, what do you consider to be your role and aim?
00:05:19.000In particular, with your relationship with Adam and hostage release, given all of the extraordinary changes that have happened in just the last couple of weeks between Israel and Palestine.
00:06:11.000Astonished, excited, and consider it to be precipitous and important that even prior to Trump being sworn in, there appeared to be movement and a temporary ceasefire was achieved.
00:06:26.000Do you accredit that to now officially the previous administration, the Biden administration, or do you have a sense that possibly that's as a result of today's events and changes, Adam?
00:06:41.000You're right, I didn't even think about it, that we're now in the administration.
00:07:41.000I didn't think I would go back into government, not because I had a bad experience, but because you never think you're going to go back.
00:07:47.000And to do something like this with the backing of somebody like President Trump, it's a dream, really, because I know how much difference we can make.
00:07:57.000There are American hostages held all over the world, but I suppose I'm not unusual in that when I... Think about hostage and hostage negotiations in this newly minted, inchoate administration.
00:08:13.000I primarily think of the relationship between Israel and Palestine, this most historically contentious relationship, this seemingly irresoluble situation.
00:08:25.000Like no other topic, people are divided and wounded, and it seems like an unassailable task.
00:08:35.000Can you tell us, Bashar, how the release of hostages is likely to be a component establishing new and hopefully peaceful relationships between Israel and Palestine?
00:08:52.000And I suppose you must feel some optimism that that's possible because you were here.
00:09:25.000Now that this is happening and hopefully we'll move smoothly into the second phase, which is the more important phase or a continuation of the first phase, then it will set the ground for hopefully a new deal of a long-lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.
00:09:48.000But we do have a strong President Trump.
00:09:53.000That is a deal-maker, and we are optimistic with that, with starting off so positive, with a truce deal and a hostage deal, it's a great start.
00:10:07.000My assumption is that within Palestine there is a broad spectrum of political perspectives, and so I suppose it would be presumptive and reductive of me to consider you...
00:10:24.000But in the most general terms, do you think that a strong American president, inverted commas, a president who one might imagine being truculent and pugnacious in the event of ongoing conflict is somehow more beneficial, even to a president who one might imagine being truculent and pugnacious in the event of ongoing conflict is somehow more beneficial, even to Palestine and the
00:11:32.000If we do not have a deal, then the whole problems that happen will be repeated, maybe in a different way, but more violence will occur in the future.
00:11:54.000I suppose when I'm listening and I'm trying to think, how do you moderate a conversation around this most contentious of subjects?
00:12:04.000In my mind, I feel the phantoms of more extreme perspectives.
00:12:09.000For example, I can sort of hear Ben Shapiro, who is understandably very resolute, On the subject of Israel as a devout Jew, saying any exchange for hostages and prisoners will mean innocent folk on the side of Israel and hardened prisoners or terrorists on the side of Palestine.
00:12:32.000Then, of course, elsewhere, there are many, many people that believe that events since October the 7th have been so extreme and one-sided that Palestine are beyond a disadvantage in a position where you can't conceive of a peaceful solution.
00:12:49.000It's notable, then, that Bashar is a...
00:12:55.000I don't want to use this word because I don't want to presume this word is universal, but secular, i.e.
00:13:01.000the idea that Palestine could head in a direction that was not ultimately governed by militant or, dare I even venture, Islamic undergirdings.
00:13:15.000What is significant here, the possibility of a different direction for Palestine?
00:13:20.000And Adam, it seems quite complex to me to consider that that would not be regarded as being, I don't know, managed.
00:13:29.000I think, and I bet what I share with Ben Shapiro, who I think moved to Nashville, by the way, where I am, I think we share upbringings that are absolutely very heavy Zionist.
00:13:45.000That are very strong in what we believe.
00:13:48.000And I will tell you, it's people like us, strong people, that actually can make peace like we were talking about.
00:15:41.000Think about long-term security for Israel.
00:15:43.000It's the best gift that could be given to Israel.
00:15:47.000Michelle, what do you think about that?
00:15:49.000I mean, I'm guessing that the countries Adam's referring to, I'm guessing, Iran or Syria or Saudi Arabia.
00:15:56.000How do you feel about those assumptions, the plight of Palestine?
00:16:05.000It's beneficial to sovereign Arab nations and is exploited in order to leverage, I don't know, sort of political or resource-oriented favor, presumably in their relationships with Russia or China or even the United States.
00:16:22.000I fully agree, and I think I'll go further, that dictators in our area, many of them survived over the Palestinian issue.
00:16:34.000Always using the Palestinian issue as the excuse that they are supporters of Palestine and the Palestinian people, when in reality they're really not.
00:16:44.000The Arab masses are definitely supportive of the Palestinian people, but the dictators use the Palestinian cause to get support of their masses.
00:16:55.000But when it comes to delivering to the Palestinian people, it has been very little, very limited, and sometimes...
00:17:02.000Against the Palestinian people, some of the leaders, the Arab dictators, fought the Palestinians, including al-Assad in Syria.
00:17:11.000In Lebanon, they fought the Palestinians.
00:17:13.000They killed so many of them and so on.
00:17:18.000So I think it's very important that we defuse the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for the benefit.
00:17:25.000Not just only of Palestine and Israel, but also for the benefit of the rest of the Arab countries, which are now much more moderate than before.
00:17:34.000Bashar Majri, you are the most successful Palestinian businessman.
00:17:40.000And there are rumors, I understand, that in the event of a sustained ceasefire between Israel and Palestine...
00:17:50.000Ultimately, a degree of governmental authority could be achieved in that region that will require leadership.
00:17:57.000Is it possible that that's something that could involve you in the future?
00:18:52.000If it's in business, if it's in business.
00:18:55.000If it's in politics, it's in politics.
00:18:57.000I think after what has happened in the last 16 months, it is unfair for any Palestinian to say no to anything that will benefit the people.
00:19:18.000Adam, you look like you were going to say something, but if you're not going to say something, because I know you're a good negotiator, I know you're always negotiating people to freedom, I've got questions if you don't have statements.
00:21:15.000The current leadership of the Palestinian Authority, that individual and his sons, run a classic mafia protection racket, which means they go to businesses, they force them to pay them for protection from themselves, like the godfather.
00:21:31.000You can't deal with them because why would they want the situation to change?
00:21:36.000They're making so much money off the situation, they're not going to have it to change.
00:22:01.000Yeah, you're going to have to work on that slope, madam, if you're going to create unity.
00:22:04.000It definitely cannot have expletives in the acronym.
00:22:10.000Bashar, do you think it's really possible to bypass a revolutionary moment coming out the back of the devastation that has ensued between October the 7th and current day?
00:22:24.000How do you respond to Adam Bola's claims that the Hamas leadership are fundamentally a criminal rather than political?
00:22:36.000Is it possible for Palestine to come out of this period of terrible conflagration and devastation and bypass a militant and revolutionary moment and move straight into some administrative, bureaucratic, secular and political solution?
00:22:54.000Sort of almost something we've never imagined.
00:22:58.000I think it's easy for the Palestinian people and the vast majority of the Palestinian people are not fighters.
00:24:39.000It's being radicalism and to be a militant, make the religion a militant tool, is negative and very bad in my opinion.
00:24:52.000I find it hard to conceive of an evolution of the crisis, or plight is the word you used, of the Palestinian people, into a process that's political and non-violent.
00:25:10.000I suppose precisely because you've said that it's such a grief-stricken, historic, scriptural, woe-saturated...
00:25:23.000And I wonder how, like on the ground, how that's going to, what that process looks like.
00:25:28.000And may I ask as well, Bashar, how it won't seem like it's being organized and manipulated by significant US and international power to afford Israel the solution.
00:25:39.000Israel wants rather than a truly mutual beneficial solution for the people of Palestine and Israel.
00:25:47.000Well, what you stated last has to be the answer.
00:26:05.000Giving Palestinians the right of self-determination, creating a Palestinian state is not bad for Israel.
00:26:11.000It should be good for Israel as long as the two states are in peace together.
00:26:17.000I know it sounds simple and it is complicated, but it's not as complicated as people thought.
00:26:24.000Keep in mind that in 1993, right here in this city, Arafat, who was the leader of the PLO, Which was seen as the big terrorist organization was here shaking hands in the White House with Prime Minister Rabin and Le Chimon Peres also and signed the peace agreement.
00:26:52.000And the peace agreement moved on for a long time.
00:26:55.000It still is holding today with a lot of problems.
00:26:59.000The big problem with that agreement was a five-year agreement and then we discuss what's next.
00:27:05.000What we need today is a full agreement that decides what happens day one, next year, the year after, etc.
00:27:12.000It's a full process outlined till we reach the end of it.
00:27:24.000It's just peace and it's going to happen like that.
00:27:26.000There's going to be a lot of confidence-building measures between the two people.
00:27:30.000I think there should be a confederation between the state of Palestine and Israel so that both people are enjoying the peace dividends and that will bring people together.
00:27:42.000A hundred years ago or less, we had wars in Europe.
00:27:48.000More people died in the European wars than...
00:27:52.000The people that died in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
00:27:56.000So I think it's very doable, and violence could drop dramatically.
00:28:01.000Even radical groups can adjust as well.
00:28:05.000They are political groups for the most part, and they will adjust.
00:28:12.000The radicals will try to sabotage a deal, and that's why we need strong leaders to do a deal like this.
00:28:21.000In my humble opinion, we do have a strong leader in the United States, and I think he can deliver a deal, he can push a deal that's beneficial to both the Palestinian people and to the Israelis, and to the whole region.
00:30:39.000And along with Bashar Mazri, we're talking about how this new administration might lead to that most extraordinary of goals being achieved, peace between Israel and Palestine.
00:30:52.000Let me know in the comments in chat what you're thinking about our conversation.
00:30:55.000So far, we're going to take a, as you know, we run this operation.
00:31:00.000In conjunction with some commercial partners.
00:31:03.000I'm so sorry to tell you that we need money occasionally from corporate entities.
00:31:10.000But actually, Dylan, do you know what the first commercial is?
00:31:20.000We'll be talking more about Adam's forthcoming role in the new administration.
00:31:25.000We'll be talking, of course, about our hope, our shared hope and prayer for Middle Eastern peace.
00:31:32.000And we'll touch on other subjects around the inauguration on this most auspicious and extraordinary day in Washington, D.C. is a message from our partners.
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00:32:49.000You're watching Stay Free with Russell Brand.
00:32:52.000If you're watching this stream anywhere other than Rumble, you should consider getting Rumble Premium.
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00:33:08.000If you're watching this on X or YouTube or Facebook, we're going to cut the stream now and we'll be exclusively available.
00:33:20.000And Bashar have covered Middle Eastern peace, which we hope to have achieved in the next couple of months.
00:33:24.000We're going to have a little more of an idle chat about matters in D.C., some of the events that are going on, some of the extraordinary sights that you will see.
00:33:33.000Last night I was at the Bible Museum and I saw things you won't believe, unless you are a faith-based Christian, in which case you would believe it.
00:33:40.000But there's some interesting people wandering around this city right now.
00:33:44.000Let me know in the comments and chat what you're expecting to see.
00:33:49.000Where are you heading straight after this?
00:33:51.000I have a quick meeting with a senator, and then I'm going over to the arena, the big basketball arena, where the president will be and where he'll speak.
00:34:01.000And he's just going to lay out a vision for America that astonishingly includes you.
00:34:06.000Well, he's got a whole bunch of speakers, and actually one of them speaking about Middle East peace is Steve Witkoff, and that is actually his coordinator.
00:34:15.000So we work a lot because my job is to get every single American, And so we'll be able to hear Steve's vision.
00:36:17.000You are a Palestinian Muslim and you...
00:36:22.000Feel that the current leadership, there can be no solution while there is a militant component.
00:36:28.000There has to be a political and diplomatic solution.
00:36:31.000Do you think that some people in Palestine will see even that as a kind of apostasy or heresy?
00:36:36.000That somehow it has to be a violent solution because of the nature of the conflict?
00:36:41.000I'm sure there are, but I think this is the tiny minority.
00:36:45.000And I'm sure there are those people on the other side, but I'm also confident it's the tiny minority.
00:36:51.000The majority of the Palestinians, and if I may speak of a lot of Israelis, I know the majority of Israelis both want to live in peace.
00:37:02.000It's the radicals that have taken us down the drain, and we need to grab things back and respond to the vast majority of the...
00:37:14.000Well, there's no doubt that the Israel-Palestine conflict is unique.
00:37:18.000That dynamic of extremists determining the nature of the conflict is a much broader issue, isn't it?
00:37:26.000I think most of us understand that whether even in domestic American politics or UK politics, people at the extremes tend to define the nature of the conflict.
00:38:50.000I don't know who came up with that, but Doge is just good marketing.
00:38:54.000So in the SPIHA role that's set up that way, no one would talk about the fact that yesterday I'm back and forth with the, it was the current, now it will be former SPIHA, who's a great guy and is working his butt off.
00:39:20.000It's missed by Christian principles, but free speech-wise, you can go crazy.
00:39:24.000I think, yeah, at that point, I think we've found a threshold that's manageable for our three separate faiths, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
00:41:20.000Yes, there's been a lot of bureaucratic inertia even in areas that seem like they would require novel, new, and innovative thinking.
00:41:30.000In fact, if there's any particular strain that defines the matter that I hope that you two can participate to a resolution for, it's a kind of entrenched and unending near eternal sense of conflict.
00:41:47.000As a new Christian, I'm reading the Bible every day, and it's so extraordinary to encounter in the Old Testament reports of this conflict.
00:42:00.000Prophecy about this conflict, the history of this conflict, you get the sense, even scripturally, that this is somehow something that's fraternal, familial, molecular, one body divided, one family divided.
00:42:19.000And there's been so much inconceivable hurt and bloodshed.
00:43:09.000I pray that there is a political solution.
00:43:12.000And even whilst I would reject the idea of secularism in so many ways, because I feel that it's, in a sense, one of the ways that we're primarily controlled is by denouncing the divine where we need it most in organisation.
00:43:25.000I can see how, given the nature of your scenario, it's going to be a requirement.
00:43:33.000I hope that this is a successful visit for you, Bashar.
00:43:36.000It's very successful, and it's very joyful, and it comes at a very special time.
00:43:43.000When we arrived here, the hostage deal has been concluded, and that adds to the excitement.
00:43:54.000Being at a historic moment in Washington, D.C. is a great honor.
00:44:00.000Participating in the events is not only fun, it's just a great honor to be involved and just looking forward for a much better time, we hope.
00:44:17.000Yeah, I think you're right about that as well.
00:44:19.000People assume that it's like a four-year administration, but it does feel sometimes that there are encroaching external forces.
00:44:27.000Because if, Adam, you're correct that any peaceful resolution between Palestine and Israel is disadvantageous to potent Middle Eastern interests, one might imagine that there would be geopolitical maneuvering to prohibit such conclusions being reached.
00:44:45.000Well, I think there's another unique difference, and we owe Israel, the world owes Israel such a debt of gratitude.
00:44:54.000And the reason I say it is they realized, they acted, despite world criticism, and took out all of Iran's terrorist infrastructure in glorious fashion.
00:45:07.000And we owe them a debt of gratitude because Iran was funding so much terror.
00:45:49.000Have some optimism for a bright future, then presumably you're someone that's ideologically connected to the previous administration, which ultimately I came to see as globalism under the guise of cultural wokeism, under the pretense of care and concern, never neglecting to implement further control, whether that's in response to disease or climate or geopolitical issues or the protection and preservation of the rights of...
00:46:15.000Minorities, all of which is afforded to us if we accept one another as part of the same human family and do our best to act in love.
00:46:23.000We've got a quick message now from one of our partners and we'll be back with an announcement from Adam that I think might finally shift world politics in the correct direction if a second Trump presidency doesn't do that.
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00:47:08.000I'm going to go on Hello and pray with others.
00:47:10.000And really tailoring the app to your spiritual needs.
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00:48:02.000Yeah, that is a good app with Jonathan Rumi on it, who plays our Lord and Savior in Chosen.
00:48:06.000If you haven't seen the episode of Break Bread with Russell Brand, in which I was joined by Dallas Jenkins, have a look at that now.
00:48:12.000You get that if you are a member of Rumble Premium or if you're a Locals member.
00:48:16.000And I can't see your comments, but I'm saying hello to you and I'm conveying as much love as I can summons up because I'm in Rumble Studios.
00:48:23.000In DC with Adam Bowler and with my new friend Bashar Masri on this auspicious occasion where we seem to have, in a matter of moments, brought about some sort of Middle Eastern peace solution prior even to anyone getting on so much as a flight.
00:48:38.000And now, Adam, would you please inform our beloved community about the matter that we discussed only briefly prior to coming on air?
00:48:48.000Yeah, I... You know, you were asking a lot about ingredients, you know, what makes Middle East peace and what brings hostages home, right?
00:48:57.000And we've talked a lot about this recently, Russell, right?
00:49:00.000We've talked about how you could help because you are somebody that knows, you, this is what I love about you, you want to use your fame to accomplish great aims.
00:49:11.000Which, by the way, I didn't even, I took him to a football game.
00:50:51.000So Goodwill Champions, and you're offering me this role as one of very few Goodwill Champions, although we're going to work on the name, participate in complex issues of hostage release around the world, in the Middle East, but globally, wherever there are hostages.
00:51:08.000I will be turning up to put their situation into stark and striking context.
00:51:24.000No, no, no, I'll give it another chance.
00:51:26.000I think it's brilliant that you're applying such innovation and open-mindedness to something that's seen as, understandably, rather tragic, intransigent and difficult to resolve.
00:52:11.000Handling such a delicate and complex conversation so articulately and as a Muslim and a Jew and a Christian, we can pray that this...
00:52:21.000Beautiful day for America leads to solutions, resolution and peace for the people across the world that are suffering right now because of steep ulterior globalist ideas that perhaps ought to be discarded immediately.
00:52:43.000I'm going to be speaking with Michael Schellenberger about censorship, the about-turn at Facebook, the oligarchy.
00:52:50.000who are now in congregation around the new President Trump I hope that your country Bodes well under its new stewardship, and I would like to add that true sovereignty is to be found within you in a relationship to the most potent force there is, a loving creator.