In the 15-plus years that Morning Joe has been on the air, I can't remember Mika Brzezinski ever displaying such passionate anger as she did today. And it was directed at Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu.
Mika suggested that the U.S. halt aid to Israel until Netanyahu explains the delayed response to the Hamas attacks of 10/7. Can you imagine other countries being slow to aid America after 9/11 because George W. Bush should have known enough to prevent 9/11 from happening?
She got emotional and slapped her hands in angry frustration:
MIKA: Think about it. This is a small country. These gate crossings are militarized. You're going to tell me they don't have cameras? You're going to tell me they don't have panic buttons? You're going to tell me they have absolutely no communication with the outside world, that they could -- that there was no warning of this, there was no sign of this, there was no way to know that we immediately need to respond [slapping hands] and get there within minutes? This is a problematic question. And it's, it's fair to ask. It should be asked now.
And quite frankly, how does the administration go forward without knowing the answer?
Just what was Mika implying? That Netanyahu was aware of the attack early on, but chose not to respond? That he intentionally let over 1,200 Israelis be brutally slaughtered, raped, or taken hostage? Mika is demanding answers from Netanyahu. But she has a duty to spell out her accusation, rather than letting her ugly innuendo fester in public.
This was not Mika's take on Ukraine last year. Biden wasn't backing Ukraine strongly enough.
Until now, Mika has bucked the liberal-media tendency to blame Israel first. But with Joe Scarborough having the day off, is Mika beginning to show her true colors as the daughter of Zbigniew, the man who suggested that the US shoot down Israeli warplanes if they crossed Iraqi air space on their way to attack Iranian nuclear facilities?
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
12/8/23
6:10 am ETWILLIE GEIST: Secretary of State Blinken also held a joint news conference with David Cameron, the foreign minister of the UK yesterday. He was very explicit in saying there is a gap right now in what Israel says it is doing to protect civilians and what's actually happening on the ground.
He said that, of course, after pledging America's support for Israel. But the criticism has become more public.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: There's a gap in trust! And this is a real challenge for the administration and for Joe Biden, President Joe Biden, when he's dealing with a counterpart that you're not necessarily sure you're getting the full story.
Think of it this way, this response-time question is not just a little follow-up we'll leave for later. This is a disturbing reality. Eight hours? Israel the size of, what, Massachusetts, maybe?
Benjamin Netanyahu was very quick to declare war. He could assess the situation and realize that Israel was at war. But eight hours to get to women who were being raped? By the way, for a year, for months, disregarding a female analyst who said this is coming. There is a 40-page document spelling it out.
And I want to spell this out even more specifically for you. Think about it. This is a small country. These gate crossings are militarized. You're going to tell me they don't have cameras? You're going to tell me they don't have panic buttons? You're going to tell me they have absolutely no communication with the outside world, that they could -- that there was no warning of this, there was no sign of this, there was no way to know that we immediately need to respond and get there within minutes? This is a problematic question. And it's, it's fair to ask. It should be asked now.
And quite frankly, how does the administration go forward without knowing the answer? We're suffering the repercussions here in the United States. We're learning a lot about attitudes and the response to this complex situation. But that question needs to be answered.
