On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher stated that the antisemitic comments made by Kanye West are “not really out of order with some things” said by Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and that one of Omar’s comments was so egregious that if someone read it to him ten years ago, he would have thought it was a statement from Hezbollah, not a member of Congress.
While talking with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Maher said, “I just want to read a few quotes from American congressmen, just to — congresspeople, rather, just to show that Kanye West’s comment is not really out of order with some things that are said by people in more official positions. 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’d have thought that would be from Hezbollah. That’s an American congressperson. Another American congressperson says, ‘The reality of Israel’s apartheid government’ [and] goes on to say, ‘the occupation and ethnic cleansing Palestinians [must] live with every day.’ Another one says Israel targets media sources ‘so the world can’t see Palestinians being massacred.'”
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