Former Bernie Sanders foreign policy advisor Matt Duss got more than he bargained for when he showed up at Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday as Maher slapped down his attempt to add “context” to Israel, Hamas, and Gaza.
Duss proclaimed, “I will say that does not mean we can’t have a conversation about the deeper context here. We have to have that conversation. That does not justify in any way what happened. You said there is a siege on Gaza, that’s right. There’s also been a blockade since 2007. That is part of this context. Again, not a justification, never a justification, but—”
The comedian then gave the foreign policy advisor a much needed history lesson, “A blockade from a land they gave back. They gave back. Gaza is not occupied.”
Duss feebly responded, “Well, they withdrew their forces and settlements from within Gaza.”
Again, it was left to the jester to inform the man who likely would’ve been national security advisor in a Sanders Administration what the purpose of a blockade is, “Okay, but the reason there’s a blockade is to stop shit like this from happening. That’s the whole point.”
Duss even declared that,” No, I agree with that,” which raises the question of why he felt the need to add “context” to the situation.
Maher followed up, “They gave it back. They said, ‘you know what, make your life your own.’”
Obviously, Maher is correct. After the Israeli withdraw, Palestinians could’ve turned Gaza into a peaceful enclave that focused on economic development and showing the positive aspects of what independent Palestine could bring. Things obviously turned out differently.
Later on in the segment, Maher and Duss’s co-panelist, Tablet Magazine’s James Kirchick, took apart the college students demonstrating in support of Hamas’s terrorism:
“This…movement claims misgendering someone is a human rights abuse & cannot tolerate a federal judge speaking at Stanford…his speech is a form of violence. These same people are now…calling for the wanton murder of Jews. This is a disgusting ideology” – @jkirchick #RealTime pic.twitter.com/eqMxzAfvEq
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) October 14, 2023
Here is a transcript for the October 14 show:
HBO Real Time with Bill Maher
10/13/2023
10:23 PM ET
MATT DUSS: I will say that does not mean we can’t have a conversation about the deeper context here. We have to have that conversation. That does not justify in any way what happened. You said there is a siege on Gaza, that’s right. There’s also been a blockade since 2007. That is part of this context. Again, not a justification, never a justification, but—
BILL MAHER: A blockade from a land they gave back. They gave back. Gaza is not occupied.
DUSS: Well, they withdrew their forces and settlements from within Gaza.
MAHER: Okay, but the reason there’s a blockade is to stop shit like this from happening.
DUSS: No, I agree with that.
MAHER: That’s the whole point. They gave it back. They said, “you know what, make your life your own.”