Moment of Moral Clarity from Bill Maher on Israel vs. Hamas

July 21st, 2014 12:02 PM

It doesn't happen often, just enough to pique the interest of conservatives who comprise a sliver of his audience, but comedian Bill Maher occasionally lapses into lucidity.

Earlier this month, for example, Maher observed that liberals are often little more than "useless Obama hacks."  Back in April he denounced "political correctness Nazis" who hound him to "censor every joke" and "apologize for every slight." Two months earlier, Maher mocked the awkward fact that liberals got weak in the knees over Soviet dictator Joe Stalin back in the 1930s. (Video after the jump)

On his most recent "Real Time with Bill Maher" on HBO, Maher did it again, this time while talking with his guests about the latest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Here's what Maher said after remarks from former congresswoman Jane Harman, Democrat of California --

HARMAN: Charles Krauthammer, whom I seldom agree with, wrote the other day that Israel is using a missile defense system to protect its citizens and Hamas is using its citizens to protect its missiles. (applause from audience)

MAHER: That's good, yeah.

More accurately, Krauthammer was quoting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Maher followed this with criticism just as succinct and devastating --

MAHER: Yeah, I do feel, to your point, that if the Hamas people had the opportunity, they would kill the maximum number of Israelis, which would be all, and Israel has the opportunity to kill way more and they do not.

HARMAN: No.

MAHER: It seems like they are the victim of the soft bigotry of high expectations.

How about that, he's also paraphrasing George W. Bush, which may explain why Maher's solidly left-wing audience sat on its hands after he said this.

Bad sign for Palestinians when they start losing formerly reliable allies in Western media such as Maher.