It may seem like Bill Maher is being red-pilled. He’s not. The comedian still cracks jokes about Republicans; he’s just not pro-terrorist or insane like the rest of his party. Maher has always been a critic of radical Islam, a supporter of free speech, and an unapologetic dissident when it comes to political correctness. He had Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on his show last Friday, where the two men found common ground over the whacky aspects of ‘wokeism.’ Cruz has a new book out about cultural Marxism.
But one area that Maher has fired inside the ship is the recent war between Israel and Hamas. The HBO host doesn’t cast himself as an expert on the subject, but he does know a lot more than most of the antisemitic and pro-Hamas clowns we’ve seen at these rallies.
Israel isn’t a colonizer; it’s not an apartheid state, and IDF forces aren’t committing genocide. Hamas intentionally targets civilians, but Israel does not. Hamas started the recent war that will bring about its destruction. Israel did not. All the death and destruction happening in Gaza right now is because of what Hamas did on October 7: invade southern Israel to rape, murder, torture, and burn alive 1,400 Israeli civilians.
What gives the pro-terrorist side credibility are folks like former President Barack Obama, who took the two equal sides position regarding this conflict, declaring we’re all a bit complicit, which is nonsensical. Maher took issue while listing numerous things that make the anti-Israeli activist wing of America look like idiots (via Fox News):
"So interesting: when they fire at Israel, it's a war. When Israel fires back, it's a war crime."
— Real Time with Bill Maher (@RealTimers) November 11, 2023
Watch @BillMaher get real about moral equivalency on #RealTime: pic.twitter.com/kudZlrs7F5
"Real Time" host Bill Maher on Friday took a moment to knock former President Obama for comments he made this week about the Israel-Hamas war, saying he was "disappointed" at the prominent Democrat.
During a discussion with Pod Save America, the 44th president insisted "all of us are complicit" for the escalated violence that has erupted in the Middle East following the Oct. 7 attack against Israel.
"What Hamas did was horrific, and there is no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation, and what’s happening to Palestinians, is unbearable," Obama said. "If you want to solve the problem, then you have to take in the whole truth. And then you have to admit nobody's hands are clean, that all of us are complicit to some degree."
On Friday, Maher accused Obama of pushing "moral equivalency" between the Jewish State and the Palestinian terrorist group.
"I must say I am struggling with people's moral equivalency still," Maher said during a panel discussion. "I mean, Barack Obama, who has rarely disappointed me, did so this week… His statement, I mean, it's not a horrible statement, but he said, 'If you want to solve the problem, then you have to take in the whole truth and then you have to admit nobody's hands are clean.' Literally that's true, of course. But just giving two examples where this is I don't think a helpful statement at this moment. First of all, the attack was only a month ago. A more savage attack that we've ever seen in reverse. There's a big difference between collateral damage and what Hamas did."
If a comedian can spot the difference and shred why there is no moral equivalency argument to be made here—why can’t a former president? While he’s not for everyone regarding his comedy, Maher is more of a well-read individual than most in his circles nowadays, reading everything, including things that he might find disagreement with, but that’s okay because he’s not an intellectual wimp or beholden to upholding a particular narrative at all costs. That’s the news media today. He’s willing to change his mind, and he’s done so. In 2007, while he maintained his position that the war in Iraq was not the right call, he did admit that the Bush surge worked to stabilize the country.
At the same time, welcome to the party, Bill. Barack Obama has always been terrible on the Israel-Palestine issue.