Bill Nye: European Jews Should ‘Get to Know’ Neighbors

Bill Nye the Science Guy recommended “get to know your neighbors” to European Jews facing anti-Semitism on Friday’s “Real Time” on HBO.

After host Bill Maher reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was urging Jews in Europe to come to Israel, Nye said “the people have never been there [Israel] they live — grew up in — whatever, Germany or France.”

After Maher responded “it’s a shame that they should have to move,” Nye stated “they probably won’t either, because it’s not their home.”

Rob Reiner then remarked “but you can understand it. There were German Jews that lived in Germany during the second world war, and that was their home. And, at a certain point, if your life is in danger, you want to be go some place where you’re going to be protected.”

Nye then argued “so what do you do about it? I think you get to know your neighbors. That said, it’s going to take — what does it take, a century, something like that?”

Washington Post National General Assignment Reporter Elahe Izadi remarked that “right-wing, populist political parties” were a part of the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe, before addressing Nye’s point with “a lot of European Jewish leaders this week have been saying, in response to those [Netanyahu’s] comments that Europe is our home and this is the culture we helped build. And the leaders are expressing — the leaders of those countries are expressing support, but what is the next step, how are they going to combat this in their countries?”

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