NewsNation host Dan Abrams blasted cable news rival MSNBC for allowing its anchors to “pander to the far-left” in 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 least 900 Israelis — was the result of “failed policies” by Israel and the US.
“Right. It’s Israel’s fault. It’s the United States fault,” Abrams said mockingly in comments first reported by the news site Mediaite.
“The policies that somehow justify or 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 about 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 all of a sudden context and nuance are important for MSNBC,” Abrams said during his monologue on Monday.
“But when it’s a story that fits their political agenda — like, I don’t know, an officer-involved shooting — context and nuance go out the window.”
Abrams said that MSNBC’s analysis of the Israel-Hamas hostilities “is worse than just a double standard.”
“Look, this is not a both-sides story, period,” Abrams said.
“Since Saturday, MSNBC has made 441 references to Hamas militants or ‘the fighters’,” he said.
“They are terrorists! Full stop! And MSNBC’s pathetic refusal to call them that is just shameful pandering to their far-left audience.”
Abrams’ commentary came hours after Jonathan Greenblatt, the head 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” the program and the network, he wondered “who is writing the scripts? Hamas?”
Greenblatt then looked into the camera and addressed reporter Jonathan Lemire, an MSNBC anchor.
“They are not fighters, Jonathan,” Greenblatt said.
“They are not militants, and I’m looking right at the camera. They are terrorists.”