While interviewing former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his HBO Real Time Bill Maher compared Kanye West’s recent antisemitic comments to criticisms of Israel made by Democratic House members.
Maher asked Netanyahu if Israel planned to “retaliate” against West over the rapper’s recent Twitter threat to go “death con 3” on Jews. “Antisemitism is the longest hatred in history,” Netanyahu replied. “It goes back thousands of years. We’ve dealt with bigger problems than these stupidities. But, you know, the communists blame the Jews for being capitalists, the capitalists blame the Jews for being communists. You have a problem, blame the Jews.”
Maher then compared West’s comments to recent criticisms of Israel made by Democratic House members.
“Just to show that Kanye West’s comment is not out of order with some things that are said by people in more official positions,” offered Maher. “Here’s one: ‘Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.’ Ten years ago if you read that to me I would have thought that would be from Hezbollah. That’s an American congressperson.”
The comment Maher quoted was made by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on Twitter in 2012 while Israel was attacking Gaza. The operation ultimately killed more than one hundred Palestinian civilians.
Maher went on to quote Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who has consistently called Israel an apartheid state guilty of ethnic cleansing. He also cited a May 2021 tweet from the congresswoman referring to the fact that Israel targets media sources. Tlaib also made her comment while Israel attacked Gaza. That assault killed at least 256 Palestinians, including 66 children.
Maher predictably avoided quoting the entire tweet, based on who his guest was. “Israel targeting media sources is so the world can’t see Israel’s war crimes led by the apartheid-in-chief Netanyahu,” it read. “It’s so the world can’t see the killing of babies, children and their parents. It’s so the world can’t see Palestinians being massacred.”
“Are you massacring Palestinians?,” asked Maher sarcastically. “Are you ethnic cleansing? And are you an apartheid state?”
“No, no, and no. I mean, these are ridiculous charges against the one democracy in the Middle East,” replied Netanyahu. “The one democracy that upholds human rights, that defends freedom, and is America’s best ally.”
Maher failed to ask Netanyahu any questions about his current corruption trial.
Maher has a long history of engaging in Islamophobia and defending Israeli atrocities on his shows. “I would submit that Israel did not steal anybody’s land,” he declared on his show last year. “This is another thing I’ve heard the last couple of weeks, words like ‘occupiers’ and ‘colonizers’ and ‘apartheid,’ which I don’t think people understand the history there.” In 2019 he called the BDS movement a “bullshit purity test.”
Kindly uncle Benjamin is a consumate con artist.
Mr. Maher is his able accomplice.