Co-host Sunny Hostin bluntly told Maher 'you've changed' during the interview
Bill Maher defends Israel from liberal 'View' co-host's criticisms
Bill Maher defended Israel's actions in the ongoing Gaza war during an appearance on "The View."
Comedian Bill Maher and "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin clashed Tuesday over the Israel-Hamas war and how the far-left has changed.
Maher said during his appearance that any of the protesters demonstrating in favor of Hamas should go live in Gaza. "Trust me, you would go running and screaming and begging to go live in Tel Aviv."
"Are you at all concerned about the innocent civilians that have been collectively punished and murdered, largely children and women? Are you at all concerned about the fact that the International Criminal Court just today issued a subpoena for Bibi Netanyahu?" Hostin asked.
Maher said the ICC's move was "ridiculous," noting it was a war. The international body has also come under sharp criticism from the U.S. for equating Israel's actions with the terrorist group Hamas.
Comedian Bill Maher and "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin discuss anti-Israel protesters and the Israel-Hamas war during "The View" on Tuesday. (Screenshot/ABC/TheView)
"They were attacked and they are defending themselves. Now this is a war, do you think Hamas needs to be destroyed? This is the question," Maher asked Hostin.
Hostin replied, "Yes."
Maher agreed Hamas needed to be destroyed, noting the terrorist group openly wants to continue murdering Israelis by any means.
"So if they need to be destroyed, how do we do that? It’s a war. I don’t know how to do that, and you don’t know how to do that," Maher continued, pointing at Hostin.
Comedian Bill Maher and co-host of "The View" Sunny Hostin went back-and-forth on the Israel-Hamas war during an interview on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Left: (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images FOR ESSENCE), Right: (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images))
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Hostin asked again if he was concerned about innocent lives, and the comedian said, "Of course, everybody is."
"That's what happens in a war. Here's a way to stop that, stop attacking Israel," Maher continued.
The audience, along with co-hosts Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin, applauded him. Co-host Joy Behar chimed in as well and said people needed to stop calling for the "annihilation" of Jewish people.
Hostin also took issue with Maher's use of the term "woke," and said she was surprised to hear him say it because, she said, the term has been weaponized by the political right. Hostin argued that the Black community historically used the term "woke" to note that they needed to be aware of social injustices.
Sunny Hostin speaks to her fellow "The View" co-hosts on March 25, 2024. (Screenshot/ABC/TheView)
"Words do migrate, now I'll use any term you want, because maybe that is a word that is triggering, so let’s not use that word," Maher said. "Want to call it the super far left?"
"Don't tell me that the left hasn't changed," Maher said. "I'm old enough to remember when it was the conservatives who hated the Jews."
He added it was a joke when the remark was met with stony silence in the studio, although he noted he'd seen left-wing individuals who'd advocated for Hamas.
After claiming later in his appearance that he would describe himself as an "old-school liberal," Hostin bluntly told Maher, "you've changed, though."
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.
