Bill Maher, the host of "Real Time," has recently voiced his shock at the surge of antisemitism in the United States, following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
During a panel discussion on his show, Maher expressed his astonishment at the intensity of the antisemitic sentiment, comparing it to a volcano that had suddenly erupted.
"I must admit, I don't think of myself as a naive person [but] I've been surprised. It was like a volcano that blew. I mean, just the people in the United States who [are like] F--- Israel!' You know, the 'Any means necessary!' I just, I don't know where this comes from. I guess it's ancient. Obviously, the hatred of the Jews goes way back. But I was taken aback by this," Maher said.
The discussion took a turn when political scientist Ian Bremmer suggested that social media could be exacerbating the situation. Maher, however, seemed to believe that the issue was more deeply rooted, questioning why the Jewish community was being singled out when there were other oppressed groups worldwide.
Maher also pointed out the irony of the young people who had criticized former President Trump for not condemning the antisemitic chants during the 2017 Charlottesville protest, now expressing similar sentiments themselves. "I mean, the young people who hated Trump because he wouldn't condemn the people with the tiki torches talking about Jews- you're the ones with the tiki torches now!" he exclaimed.
The HBO host further criticized those who sympathize with Palestine, accusing them of being uninformed about the history and complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict. "They don't want to learn anything They want to have a cause," Maher said. "It's not about Israel, it's about this cause, the Palestinians. Like I said, there's many people around the world who could have similar causes This is the one that they latch on to. They don't learn anything about the history of the region or who's right and who's wrong and where they'd be more comfortable."
Maher also dismissed the debate over "proportionality" in Israel's response to Hamas' attacks, citing a Hamas official who declared that the organization would continue its attacks on Israel until the Jewish State was destroyed.
"For people who wonder why they are doing it, is because if they don't, their answer is that if they don't fight back Hamas, they're telling you we're going to do it again!" Maher said. "I've used the word proportionality, and I think there should be- but it doesn't mean this thing where like, Hamas is going to attack- thats a given. And then however many they kill, then you get to kill about the same. You get to match it and then the war's over.' That's not how wars work. Stop attacking them!"
The rise in antisemitism has been particularly noticeable on college campuses across the country, where Jewish students have been subjected to threats and harassment. A recent incident involved a 21-year-old Cornell University student, Patrick Dai, who was arrested for allegedly issuing death threats against Jews online and threatening to carry out a shooting at an on-campus dining hall.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has also acknowledged the issue, stating in a Senate hearing that antisemitism in the U.S. has reached "historic levels."
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