NewsNation host Dan Abrams blasted cable news rival MSNBC for allowing its anchors to “pander to the far-left” of their coverage of Hamas’ deadly terror attack on Israel.
Abrams, the host of NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live,” singled out MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin, Mehdi Hasan, and Ali Velshi for saying the Hamas assault — which has claimed the lives of at the very least 900 Israelis — was the results of “failed policies” by Israel and the US.
“Right. It’s Israel’s fault. It’s the US fault,” Abrams said mockingly in comments first reported by the news site Mediaite.
“The policies that in some way justify and even explain the slaughter, rapes, and kidnapping of innocent civilians,” Abrams said on Monday.
“And that ridiculous commentary set the tone for much of MSNBC’s coverage throughout the weekend, where many hosts seemed determined to say, ‘Well, what in regards to the Palestinians?’”
The Post has sought comment from MSNBC, Mohyeldin, Hasan, and Velshi.
Abrams blasted Hasan and Velshi for their commentary. He said that their focus on “context and nuance” was misguided.
“Notice how hastily context and nuance are essential for MSNBC,” Abrams said during his monologue on Monday.
“But when it’s a story that matches their political agenda — like, I don’t know, an officer-involved shooting — context and nuance exit the window.”
Abrams said that MSNBC’s evaluation of the Israel-Hamas hostilities “is worse than simply a double standard.”
“Look, this is just not a both-sides story, period,” Abrams said.
“Since Saturday, MSNBC has made 441 references to Hamas militants or ‘the fighters’,” he said.
“They’re terrorists! Full stop! And MSNBC’s pathetic refusal to call them that’s just shameful pandering to their far-left audience.”
Abrams’ commentary got here hours after Jonathan Greenblatt, the pinnacle of the Anti-Defamation League, took MSNBC to task for its coverage of the events in Israel and Gaza.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, Greenblatt said that while he “loves” this system and the network, he wondered “who’s writing the scripts? Hamas?”
Greenblatt then looked into the camera and addressed reporter Jonathan Lemire, an MSNBC anchor.
“They should not fighters, Jonathan,” Greenblatt said.
“They should not militants, and I’m looking right on the camera. They’re terrorists.”