Howard Stern On Israel

Howard Stern Gives Impassioned Defense of Israel

My estimation of Stern goes up. I never listened to Stern on the radio, except in other folks' vehicles. My impression from that was that Stern presided over a gaggle of sycophants who laughed hysterically at every breath Stern took. That might be false, but it was too annoying to pursue further. So I am reconsidering my viewpoint of Stern, in light of his common sense on Israel.

" When a caller attempted to blame Israel for the war with Hamas last week, SiriusXM radio host Howard Stern told him to “F*** off!” and then launched into an impassioned defense of Israel, saying “If you’re anti-Israel, then you’re anti-America” and arguing that Israel is “the only friend we have who’s willing to fight and stand up for what’s right.”

The tense exchange began when the caller predicted that Stern would turn his back on Israel when Comedy Central host John Oliver was in the studio.

Stern: I’m not gonna change my tune. Israel’s at no fault.

Caller: Israel’s is at fault, actually.

Stern: F*** off!

The caller then claimed that “Zionists run Israel,” at which point Stern cut him off:

Stern: Oh, f*** off... I don’t want to listen to any anti-Semitism today. Jews get enough s**t all over the world. They get s**t on all the time. Jews are the indigenous people of that area. I’m sick of the bulls**t. And the Arabs don’t even want those Palestinians, otherwise they’d let them matriculate into their country.

Stern eventually ended the call, saying, “you sicken me,” but added that being anti-Israel worked against the interests of America:

Stern: If you’re anti-Israel, then you’re anti-America. It’s the only democracy over there, it’s the only friend we have who’s willing to fight and stand up for what’s right.

After admitting that he lost his cool and let the caller “get under my skin,” he said he’s tired of reading “this bulls**t,” citing Pink Floyd’s anti-Israel Roger Waters, who he said “ought to shut his mouth too.” Stern then said that the problem was people were forgetting the history of Israel:

Stern: People forget history. Jews were being executed and killed, and they went over to Israel, this little sh*thole, which was a desert—it had nothing going on.

Stern compared the drastic difference of the median income of Israelis, $30 thousand, and Palestinians, $2 thousand, as an example of the success of Israel despite living in the same region. He then pointed to the Palestinians' real problem: "They elected terrorists to run their country."

Stern: But the Palestinians are mad at the Israelis, instead of being mad at the f***ing terrorists running their so-called country—who are raping the country, taking all the aide the United States actually gives to them. That they’re not angry with; they’re angry with Israel. [...] They elected terrorists to run their country. That’s the difference. Who do you support? Get off your f***ing high horse.
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