During his closing monologue on Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher said that the argument that Islamophobia is just as big of a problem as antisemitism is nonsense and noted that Jewish people have hidden their identity due to fears for their safety, “but the keffiyeh? You can wear that anywhere.”
While talking about antisemitism, Maher said, “Now, there are absolutely horrible things said about Muslims, too. That should also be, of course, roundly condemned, like Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) saying, ‘If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.’ That’s awful. But it’s not the same as they need to be nuked, and let’s exterminate them.”
He continued, “This is why Jewish people here, and in Europe, now say they sometimes hide their identity, afraid that the Star of David will get them attacked, as has happened in almost too many places to mention lately. Leave your Star of David at home, but the keffiyeh? You can wear that anywhere. You can wear it to ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and you’ll get applause. Jew hatred isn’t just acceptable now. It’s cool. Celebrities love it and make it trendy. It’s the new Che Guevara t-shirt. The Islamophobia is just as bad argument is simply a false equivalency. Can you name a Jewish professor who talks about Muslims the way they get talked about? No. Anti-Jewish crimes, hate crimes now outpace anti-Muslim hate crimes 9:1. It’s not a contest. And I’m certainly not saying do more of the other, I’m just saying these are the numbers, the facts, the reality.”
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