World
Bill Maher Levies Blistering Take Down Of Activists Pushing ‘Myth’ Of A Jew-Free Palestine
By CM Chaney · December 17, 2023
In brief…
- Maher argues Palestinian side clings to myth Israel will disappear while rejecting deals
- Cites history of demographic/border changes, says accommodation usually reached over time
- Calls "river to sea" chant a refusal to accept Israel's legitimacy and power
- Says either accept Israel or plan is to "move" all Jews, challenges feasibility
Bill Maher closed out 2023 with a scathing monologue aimed at the pro-Palestinian movement and the “myth” of achieving a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea.”
He argued that throughout history, borders and demographics change, often unjustly, but “eventually everybody comes to an accommodation, except for the Palestinians.”
Citing population shifts in Bethlehem and elsewhere, Maher said “it’s also not rare” for families to be displaced amid such changes. “And mostly what people do is make the best of it,” he added, noting Germans expelled from Eastern Europe after WWII and other major population transfers.
“Yes, colonized. Nobody was a bigger colonizer than the Muslim army that took over much of the world in a single century. And they didn’t do it by asking,” Maher said. He accused Palestinian leaders and student activists of “keeping alive the ‘river to the sea’ myth,” arguing Israel isn’t going anywhere given its military and economic power.
Maher condemned conditions for Palestinians as “horrible,” but said “it’s hard to negotiate when the other side’s bargaining position is ‘You will die and disappear.’” Calling the chant “From the river to the sea” a call for Israel’s elimination, he showed a map to illustrate: “It means you get all of it.”
Maher argued Palestinians have rejected peace deals for 75 years in pursuit of that goal, even though Jews have legitimate ancestral claims. He contrasted that refusal to “get real” with Mexico accepting loss of territory that’s now the U.S. Southwest.
In closing, Maher challenged the idea of removing Israel’s Jews altogether, suggesting that’s the only alternative if Palestinians won’t accept Israel’s existence. He concluded serious negotiation is needed instead of clinging to unrealistic aims.