Just hours after 20 Israeli hostages were released from captivity, after being held by the terrorist organization Hamas for 738 days, an event made possible by Donald Trump's peace plan, CNN's NewsNight with Abby Phillip featured Dr. Cornel West justifying the existence of Hamas, claiming that Palestinians in Gaza were under occupation, and comparing them to the Jews of Poland, and those who suffered as slaves in this country, and going after Donald Trump.
Phillip began the questioning with Washington Post columnist Josh Rogan, who expressed doubt about the likelihood that the the rest of Trump's plan would be implemented, but acknowledged that it was a day for celebration: "What we can say it was a good day because today the guns went silent." Next, Phillip turned to West, who in the past, on her very show, has compared the plight of the Palestinians to slavery in the United States, and has falsely claimed that Gaza was occupied by Israel prior to October 7th.
Phillip began with a ridiculous question about Trump, prefaced with her liberal point of view: "And look, everybody knows that Trump loves credit, but is it fair in your mind for more people on the left to actually give him credit for this? To acknowledge that, that perhaps he was the difference maker in this particular deal?" Then West went on his rant.
I give Trump credit for stopping the war and stopping the genocide. But the problem is, you see, is that Matthew 5:9 says blessed are the peacemakers. Peacemakers are justice seekers. I'm not convinced that Trump is a justice seeker. He has stopped the war. He stopped the genocide. That's a positive thing. But you can't seek justice unless you look at the world from the vantage point of those who themselves are under occupation. And as long as there's occupation, there's going to be Hamas or Hamas-like resistance.
And with Rogan nodding in agreement, West continued, "Because every history that we know of, people who are under occupation, be they Jews of Poland or be they Palestinians in Gaza, or the indigenous peoples of this country, or black peoples under slavery, there's going to be resistance..."
When West finished spewing and Rogan finished bobbing his head up and down, it was Scott Jennings turn, and he brought some sanity to it all.
He started by referring to what Rogan had said earlier, "I think Josh is right, we don't know what's going to happen next. He said the guns are silent, I wish that was totally true."
And as Josh Rogan once again nodded in agreement, Jennings continued, " Hamas is going around and executing some Palestinians right now, torturing them in the street...I worry for the Palestinians actually for what Hamas is doing to them inside of Gaza." Jennings then removed the pin was he worn as a symbol to bring the hostages home, and credited Trump. "..It was only through the power and the force of will of the President of the United States that 20 people returned to their families...and so I couldn't be prouder to be an American tonight, because without the United States and without our President, this doesn't happen."
Dr, West then confronted Jennings: " Are you concerned about the Palestinians? Can you take that off of the Palestinians and all of their suffering?" Jennings replied, "I'm concerned about what's happening to them right now, they're being shot in the street by Hamas." West then again claimed that the Palestinians are under occupation, compared the hostages held by Hamas to prisoners held in Israeli jails, and Rogan chimed in that "99% of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are totally innocent, and they have been suffering for two years too..."
I have no idea how Rogan came up with the 99% figure, and need I tell you that "journalist" Abby Phillip expressed no curiosity whatsoever. She allowed West's claims to go unchallenged, and didn't point out that Gaza was handed over by Israel to the Palestinians in 2005. "This....is CNN."