Anti-Defamation League director Jonathan Greenblatt took a moment out of his interview on MSNBC‘s “Morning Joe” to directly call out the cable news network for its coverage of the recent Hamas attacks in Israel, which killed more than 700 people and sparked fighting that has left more than 1,200 dead across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
“While I am sad and trying to cope, I’ll be honest: I am angry. I am angry with the world that allowed the dehumanization of Israelis and sanitized the terrorism of Hamas,” Greenblatt said (via Mediaite). “I must say I love this show, and I love this network, but I’ve got to ask, who’s writing the scripts? Hamas?”
Greenblatt then directly addressed “Morning Joe” host Jonathan Lemire, telling him that the Hamas members “who did this, they are not fighters, they are not militants. And I’m looking right at the camera: They are terrorists. It is a barbarian who rapes and brutalizes women, who kills children in front of their parents and then brings them over to Gaza.”
“So, look, you know, when we say, ‘Oh, this was an escalation, it was bound to happen.’ I am sorry. This was a massacre that was pre-planned,” Greenblatt continued. “This was not destined to happen. It is not normal to shoot teenagers in the back, hundreds of them. So I just think, like, guys get this story right and all these pictures of like, you know, missiles or the rubble in Gaza, please talk to the Israeli mothers and fathers who lost their children. Talk to the grandchildren whose grandparents were seized as hostages.”
Greenblatt added, “Please stop calling this a retaliation. This is a defensive measure against an organization that is committed to one thing: killing Jews. Not a peaceful resolution of a conflict, but murdering Jews. And if you’re wondering if I’m exaggerating, please, I beg of you, everyone watching and everyone at this network just watch the footage.”
Hamas launched a surprise attack onIsraelon Saturday, Oct. 7, in which the Palestinian organization fired thousands of rockets, sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip and kidnapped Israeli civilians and soldiers. The attacks started during a religious holiday weekend in Israel. An Israeli embassy spokesperson told CBS News on Oct. 9 that at least 900 Israelis have died in the attacks.
