On Monday, the network morning shows all hyped left-wing demands that Biden administration stop supporting steadfast U.S. ally Israel and back Palestinians in the ongoing Middle East conflict instead. The coverage tarred Israel as the villain before the describing the “pressure” President Biden was under from the leftist base of the Democratic Party to cut off aid to the Jewish state.
“It was a long and difficult night for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Israel carried out some of its most intense air strikes yet after an especially deadly weekend,” correspondent Richard Engel announced on NBC’s Today show. He continued to blame Israel – and the United States – for the violence: “The Israeli bombings in Gaza are by now the most intense of this conflict. Overnight, the Israeli military sent 54 fighter jets, mostly customized American F-16s, attacked near 10 miles of tunnels it says Hamas is using to launch rockets at Israeli cities.”
After Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan told Engel that “We have no business killing civilians, it doesn’t do us any good,” the reporter turned to a Palestinian girl: “But in Gaza, that means little to Nadine Abd Ellatif, she’s just 10 years old, but she’s already seen more death than most see in a lifetime.” He explained that she “has never left Gaza, often called the world’s biggest prison” and touted her “strong message for Americans.”
Ellatif used the opportunity to slam Israel and demand the United States stop providing aid: “We can’t do anything, we’re just dying. The American people, stop giving – stop giving weapons to the occupiers. That’s the way that you can help us.”
In a report that followed, correspondent Andrea Mitchell focused on far-left pressure being brought to bear on Biden:
The President alluding to the crisis Sunday night, during an event to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan....But for some, it’s not enough. Several Muslim advocacy groups boycotting the event to protest the White House’s support for Israel.
A soundbite ran of radical Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Nihad Awad scolding: “The only leader in the world that we believe that can stop this is President Biden.”
Mitchell highlighted how “Some Democratic lawmakers pushing the President for a more forceful response” and cheered that “Americans took to the streets, mostly in support of the Palestinians.”
“Biden is also facing some blowback from members of his own party here in Washington. Some on the left say that he isn’t doing enough to support Palestinians,” correspondent Mary Bruce told viewers on ABC’s Good Morning America.
On CBS This Morning, correspondent Weijia Jiang seized on complaints from left-wing Democrats:
...progressives in the Democratic Party are publicly calling for more support of the Palestinian people and criticizing his response so far....high-profile Democrats are urging the president to take swift action as the number of civilian casualties continues to rise. In an op-ed, Senator Bernie Sanders wrote that “Israel has the right to defend and protect its people, but that the United States must stop supporting Netanyahu. And recognize that while Israel has the absolute right to live in peace and security, so do the Palestinians.” And Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has questioned American aid to Israel, saying the U.S. Has played a role in the violence inflicted against Palestinians.
She then laughably added: “More moderate Democrats, like Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Adam Schiff, are also calling on the administration to do more to protect Palestinians and end the violence.” Since when are Bob Menendez and Adam Schiff the “moderates” of the Democratic Party?
When those on the far-left are upset about something, the liberal media are quick echo those concerns and depict public officials being under pressure to comply.
The anti-Israel propaganda was brought to NBC viewers by WeatherTech, to ABC viewers by Google, and to CBS viewers by Dawn. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a transcript of the May 17 coverage on NBC’s Today show:
7:03 AM ET
(...)
RICHARD ENGEL: It was a long and difficult night for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Israel carried out some of its most intense air strikes yet after an especially deadly weekend.
The Israeli bombings in Gaza are by now the most intense of this conflict. Overnight, the Israeli military sent 54 fighter jets, mostly customized American F-16s, attacked near 10 miles of tunnels it says Hamas is using to launch rockets at Israeli cities. More than 3,000 rockets in the past seven days alone. But as precise as the Israeli strikes can be, Palestinian civilians are dying.
The air strikes have destroyed three apartment buildings in Gaza City this weekend in the deadliest attack so far. Gaza is poor and cut off, it has no real emergency services, so poorly equipped rescue crews had to dig for victims with their hands and construction tools. They pulled out dozens of survivors, who’d been entombed under their homes for hours, and they found more than 40 bodies, including health officials said, two dozen women and children.
South of Tel Aviv, I spoke to a senior Israeli military spokesman by the Iron Dome defense system that Israel says has intercepted around 90% of Hamas rockets that seemed likely to cause deaths or significant damage.
LT. COL. JONATHAN CONRICUS [ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON]: We’ve struck hundreds of other underground targets inside Gaza and that’s the one incident where we saw houses collapsing as a result. So we’re looking into it, and I want to be clear, it is not our aim. We have no business killing civilians, it doesn’t do us any good.
ENGEL: But in Gaza, that means little to Nadine Abd Ellatif, she’s just 10 years old, but she’s already seen more death than most see in a lifetime.
NADINE ABD ELLATIF: I want to cry, I want to let out my anger out of my body because they are killing people that they don’t deserve to die. They’re just living their own self, they come and kill them. We don’t deserve this.
ENGEL: Nadine has never left Gaza, often called the world’s biggest prison. She learned English watching YouTube videos and has a strong message for Americans.
ABD ELLATIF: We can’t do anything, we’re just dying. The American people, stop giving – stop giving weapons to the occupiers. That’s the way that you can help us.
(...)
7:08 AM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: The President alluding to the crisis Sunday night, during an event to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
JOE BIDEN: My administration is going to continue to engage Palestinians and Israelis and other regional partners to work toward sustained calm.
MITCHELL: But for some, it’s not enough. Several Muslim advocacy groups boycotting the event to protest the White House’s support for Israel.
NIHAD AWAD [COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR]: The only leader in the world that we believe that can stop this is President Biden.
MITCHELL: Some Democratic lawmakers pushing the President for a more forceful response.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF [D-CA]: I think the administration needs to push harder on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to stop the violence, bring about a cease fire, end these hostilities.
MITCHELL: At a virtual Sunday session of the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. Ambassador saying it’s time to end the cycle of violence, stopping short of calling for a cease fire.
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD [U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS]: The human toll of this past week has been devastating.
MITCHELL: President Biden speaking to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in separate calls, as Americans took to the streets, mostly in support of the Palestinians.
(...)
Here is a transcript of the coverage on ABC’s GMA:
7:06 AM ET
T.J. HOLMES: We want to turn to Washington now and the White House confronting the crisis in the Middle East, but the Biden administration is dealing with some intensifying calls for it to do more to try and stop the violence. Our senior White House correspondent Mary Bruce has the latest on that for us. Mary, good morning.
MARY BRUCE: Good morning, T.J. Well, the President worked the phones this weekend, speaking with the Israeli Prime Minister, and for the first time, the Palestinian president. Biden is urging calm and expressing deep concern for the loss of life, but he is facing growing calls to do more. So far the administration has been largely focused on behind-the-scenes diplomacy, but there are these increasing calls for the President trying to up the pressure on both sides to try and bring about a cease-fire.
Biden is also facing some blowback from members of his own party here in Washington. Some on the left say that he isn’t doing enough to support Palestinians. The big picture here, this is the first major foreign policy crisis of this presidency, they want to get this right. But so far, there are no signs of the U.S. deepening its involvement. This administration is resisting getting further entangled in this conflict, but as we see the death toll climb and the violence escalate, that is a position that could be harder and harder to hold, George.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: It certainly will. Okay, Mary, thanks very much.
Here is a transcript of the coverage on CBS This Morning:
7:07 AM ET
GAYLE KING: The Middle East conflict is also a test for President Biden. Here’s what he said last night in a pre-taped message for the Muslim holiday of Ead.
JOE BIDEN: We also believe Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security and enjoy equal measure of freedom, prosperity, and democracy. And my administration’s going to continue to engage Palestinians and Israelis and other regional partners to work toward sustained calm.
KING: Weijia Jiang is at the White House with more on this story. Weijia, what can you tell us about the President’s response? The world is certainly watching to hear what he has to say or will do.
WEIJIA JIANG: Good morning, Gayle and good morning to everybody. You know, President Biden’s predecessors have also had to navigate this Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But now he is also dealing with an additional challenge — progressives in the Democratic Party are publicly calling for more support of the Palestinian people and criticizing his response so far. The President has repeatedly said that Israel has the right to defend itself against acts of terrorism, which is what he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend during their second conversation in a week.
But high-profile Democrats are urging the president to take swift action as the number of civilian casualties continues to rise. In an op-ed, Senator Bernie Sanders wrote that “Israel has the right to defend and protect its people, but that the United States must stop supporting Netanyahu. And recognize that while Israel has the absolute right to live in peace and security, so do the Palestinians.” And Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has questioned American aid to Israel, saying the U.S. Has played a role in the violence inflicted against Palestinians. More moderate Democrats, like Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Adam Schiff, are also calling on the administration to do more to protect Palestinians and end the violence. Just last night, Senator Jon Ossoff joined by 28 Senate Democrats from both wings of the party, called for an immediate cease-fire. The White House has deployed a top-level State Department envoy to the region to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Anthony?
ANTHONY MASON: Weija, thank you.
