The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3578: ICE Raid Falls Flat; Big Union Victory in CA; Israel's West Bank Annex w/ Simeon Benit, Leila Espinosa & Jasper Nathaniel

Date: September 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Majority Report features three major segments:

1. Community Resistance to an ICE Raid in Rochester, NY: A detailed look at community action successfully thwarting an ICE operation.
2. The Historic Research Professionals and Public Service (RPSP) UAW Unionization at the University of California: Featuring interviews with union organizers Lila Espinosa and Simeon Bennett.
3. Israel's De Facto Annexation of the West Bank: In-depth analysis with journalist Jasper Nathaniel on the current, accelerating annexation and the regional/international consequences.

The tone throughout is irreverent yet serious, mixing sharp political analysis with humor and spirited discussion.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Headlines and Context (00:12 – 06:17)

• Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland run through the day’s alarming headlines, including tensions over Russian drones, France's military mobilization, Israel's attack on Qatar, and various U.S. political fights.
  • Notable moment: Emma jokes (04:46) about Trump announcing which U.S. city he plans to "invade," highlighting the absurdity of current political rhetoric.
  • Quote:

    "House Democrats worried Chuck Schumer will shit the bed again."
    — Sam Seder (03:00)

• They segue into a discussion about the ICE incident and Democratic resistance.

2. Community Resistance: ICE Raid in Rochester, NY (06:17 – 13:30)

• Background: ICE conducts a raid targeting immigrant roofers. Community members, activists, and a state assemblymember intervene and stand in solidarity.
• Key Moments:
  • ABC 13 Rochester’s coverage is played (07:54).
  • Community organizer Ruth Reeves describes why she confronted ICE:
    • Quote:

      "They're here putting on a roof, trying to make a dollar and paying taxes on that dollar. And ICE was here bothering them. So I came to bother ICE."
      — (08:10)

  • Agents, confronted by a crowd, are ultimately forced to leave.
    • Sam Seder and Emma praise the courage of those who stood up to ICE.
  • Legal Rights & Tactics:
    • Emma reminds listeners of the importance of knowing legal rights—ICE needs a warrant to enter private property.
    • Community solidarity is credited as the primary reason the operation failed.
    • Quote:

      "And remember, you cannot in any way physically impede what ICE is doing. Although, you know, some folks are, are, you know, maybe lying down in front of cars or walking in front of cars..."
      — Emma Vigeland (09:49)

  • Political Analysis:
    • The hosts compare ICE recruitment tactics to historical right-wing movements and warn about the connection to the broader authoritarian playbook.
    • Vigilance and organized resistance are promoted as key tools in confronting harsh immigration enforcement.

3. Labor Focus: The RPSP-UAW Union at University of California

Interview with Lila Espinosa and Simeon Bennett
(20:29 – 45:54)

Genesis of the Union (20:29 – 23:06)

• Lila Espinosa describes the spark:
  • Frustration among long-term UC research/public service professionals because they saw unionized peers winning better contracts, pay, and protections.
  • Started by building networks, one-on-one outreach, and eventually card drives.
  • Impressive stat: 83% of workforce voted yes; over 3,000 out of 7,200 eligible members said yes to unionizing.
    • Quote:

      "...in about two weeks time, we were able to assemble 83% of the majority of our workforce to vote yes to unionizing.”
      — Lila Espinosa (22:46)

Relationship with UAW and Class Solidarity (23:06 – 25:09)

• Simeon highlights UAW's recent push to organize academic workers—over 100,000 now organized under UAW, affirming shared worker interests across sectors.
  • Quote:

    "We share more than we differ. Just because we are at a university doesn't mean that... we don't share 90% of the same interests."
    — Simeon Bennett (24:38)

Challenges of Organizing (Remote & Diverse Workforce) (35:02 – 41:08)

• Unique remote organizing: 93% of the new bargaining unit is remote/hybrid due to California’s housing crisis.
  • No “water cooler” conversations—reliance on networking, cold emails, and mapping out department relationships.
  • Emphasis on listening in organizer conversations:

    "We have kind of a rule of, I think it's 70% listen, 30% talk."
    — Simeon Bennett (37:48–38:12)

Next Steps, Broader Lessons for Labor (32:12 – 43:38)

• Gathering bargaining demands from members, holding town halls.
• Need to maintain “network strength” due to possible resistance from UC admin and external political pressures.
• Simeon reflects on the importance of collective action—shares personal story about Hurricane Katrina and the struggle to gain control over his life (43:41):
  • Quote:

    "If I could go back 20 years and tell my 14 year old self that 20 years from now you'll be fighting and you'll be winning more control over your life, I think I could have made myself smile when it was hard to smile."
    — Simeon Bennett (43:46)

• Encouragement to others: Don’t assume you’re alone; if you’re thinking about unionizing in a dispersed or remote workplace, “It is possible.”

Resources & Contact

• Union info: rpsp-uaw (45:44)

4. Israel's Rolling Annexation of the West Bank

Interview with Jasper Nathaniel, Infinite Jazz Substack
(46:00 – 99:34)

Recent Developments & U.S. Political Ties (49:08 – 50:03)

• Discussion opens with the Trump campaign's ties to mega-donor Miriam Adelson and the possible quid pro quo for U.S. recognition of West Bank annexation.
  • Quote:

    "She got the Presidential Medal of... I think it's the Medal of Honor, not the Medal of Freedom. She got it the exact same week that Rubio and Huckabee signaled that Trump was okay with them annexing the West Bank."
    — Jasper Nathaniel (49:08)

Explaining De Facto Annexation & Smotrich's Role (50:03 – 56:42)

• Smotrich’s creation of a "shadow government" in the Defense Ministry, run by settlers, now controls all key decisions in the West Bank, bypassing prior military/legal checks.
  • Quote:

    "Basically, last time I was on the show, I talked about this sort of quiet annexation of the West Bank... every decision that has to be made about whether or not to greenlight a settlement or to green light demolishing a Palestinian village... just immediately gets signed off."
    — Jasper Nathaniel (50:03–51:31)

Fundamentalist Vision: Settlements, Biblical Claims, and Exclusion (53:45 – 60:02)

• The West Bank (“Judea and Samaria”) seen as biblical heartland; annexation increasingly explicit, with less pretense that this is about “security.”
  • Emma:

    "If it was about security, it would not be defined by where Judea and Samaria is..." (60:02)

• Palestinians’ ancestral claims to the land noted, highlighting the circular logic of historical/biblical justification.

E1 Settlement “Red Line,” U.S. Enabling, and Facts on the Ground (60:29 – 66:35)

• E1 settlement would cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank, breaking viable Palestinian territorial continuity.
  • Sam:

    "...E1 has been the red line basically for every president over the past 30 years... until Donald Trump." (61:16)

  • Jasper explains settlement projects’ strategic aims:

    "...maximize land, minimize population." (69:16)

Current Annexation Options and Their Aims (69:16 – 75:03)

• Four options Israel’s government is weighing:
  1. Full annexation of the West Bank (unlikely due to demographic threat to Jewish majority).
  2. Annexing settlements only (symbolic).
  3. Annexing Area C (60% of West Bank).
  4. Leading proposal: Annexing 82% of West Bank, excluding main Palestinian cities (creating "six little Gaza's" or urban enclaves to be isolated, contained, or eventually ethnically cleansed).
     • Emma:

       "...make five, like little Warsaw ghettos. Essentially six. And at any given time starve them, bomb them, inhibit the...I mean, kind of like Gaza." (74:40)

International Response, The UAE Leverage, and the Abraham Accords (77:47 – 81:07)

• UAE previously forced a choice between West Bank annexation and normalization; may act as a brake again.
  • Emma:

    "I think it was, or if Trump isn't like, I'm sorry, this time around, I sold off the annex rights to Miriam Adelson." (79:39)

  • Jasper:

    "Honestly think it's a coin toss... is that enough to stop them from doing this as retaliation for a Palestinian state? I just don't know." (81:07)

The Normalization Contradiction & Israeli Pariah Status (81:07 – 87:53)

• Israel wants normalization (free trade, regional legitimacy) but also wants to annex and suppress Palestinians—mutually exclusive goals.
• Risks turning Israel into a "pariah state" akin to apartheid-era South Africa.

Security Pretext, Provocations, and Troop Shortages (87:53 – 95:20)

• Israeli leadership is seeking justification (e.g., provocations or attacks) for all-out war in the West Bank.
• Jasper notes Israel’s reservist crisis, resource depletion, and possible overextension.

Qatar Bombing as Sign of Escalation (95:22 – 97:44)

• Israel bombs what it claims are Hamas targets in Qatar after a Jerusalem attack; demonstrates willingness to attack far outside borders and conflate all Palestinian factions into a single, global threat.
  • Jasper:

    "...it's once again another example of them connecting the dots between what's happening in the west bank and Hamas and the genocide, or for them, the war in Gaza, because they just want it to be sort of one evil Palestinian enemy, that they have justification to just keep killing and keep bombing wherever they are..." (95:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (by Timestamp)

• "They're here putting on a roof, trying to make a dollar and paying taxes on that dollar. And ICE was here bothering them. So I came to bother ICE."
  (Ruth Reeves, community member, 08:10)

• "Once they're on private property, that is when a warrant is necessary. So this is just—people need to make sure that they understand their rights and the rights of the people that they see ICE targeting."
  (Emma Vigeland, 09:49)

• "If I could go back 20 years and tell my 14-year-old self that 20 years from now you'll be fighting and you'll be winning more control over your life, I think I could have made myself smile when it was hard to smile."
  (Simeon Bennett, UC union organizer, 43:46)

• "Smoterich probably doesn't care all that much about a sort of formal annexation... what ultimately is going to matter is the facts on the ground."
  (Jasper Nathaniel, 61:16–62:52)

• "If it was about security, it would not be defined by where Judea and Samaria is...This is a fundamentalist project and it has the zeal of religious fundamentalism as well."
  (Emma Vigeland, 60:02–60:29)

Resources and Further Reading

• Infinite Jazz Substack: in-depth reporting and commentary by Jasper Nathaniel, especially on Israeli politics and the West Bank
  infinitejazz.substack.com
• Research Professionals and Public Service (RPSP) UAW:
  rpsp-uaw.org (Exact link not specified; per Lila/Simeon, search "rpsp uaw")

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:12–06:17: Headlines, politics, and ICE Raid set-up
• 06:17–13:30: Rochester ICE raid, community resistance
• 20:29–45:54: UC Research Union origin, successes, organizing challenges
• 46:00–99:34: Israel’s West Bank annexation, U.S. politics, regional dynamics, interview with Jasper Nathaniel

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a powerful illustration of everyday resistance—from local action against federal injustice, to the massive, systemic fight underway for worker rights, to the ongoing campaign against occupation and apartheid abroad. The hosts and guests blend detailed ground-level reporting with strategic, historical, and moral analysis, always anchoring their commentary in solidarity and direct action.

Recommended for listeners interested in: Labor organizing, immigration justice, U.S.-Israel policy, and strategies for grassroots resistance in difficult political terrain.