Rep. Jayapal Goes on CNN Demanding 'Balanced' Coverage of Israel-Hamas War, Then Something Shocking Happens
It should say something about the current depraved state of the Democratic Party that some of its card-carrying members can’t get safe passage even on CNN’s flagship programs.
A very satisfying example of this cropped up on Sunday, when far-left Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” program with anchor Dana Bash.
While the two discussed a few different things, the most noteworthy part of the conversation came up when the Israel-Hamas war was broached.
For the unfamiliar, Jayapal is part of a growing anti-Semitic movement within the Democratic Party, a movement which includes other progressive “squad” members like Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.
Jayapal was clearly looking to bring that anti-Semitism to CNN’s flagship Sunday program, and you couldn’t blame cynical viewers for just assuming that CNN would give her a large pass on that nonsense.
Only… that didn’t happen.
No, to give full credit where it’s due, Bash actually did an exemplary job grilling Jayapal over her anti-Semitism, and the video is well worth the watch, if only to be briefly reminded of a halcyon age when CNN wasn’t just a Democrat apparatus:
“I’ve condemned what Hamas has done,” Jayapal told Bash when the latter began pressing the former about the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists.
“I’ve condemned all of the actions,” Jayapal said.
“Specifically [the actions] against the women?” Bash interjected.
“Absolutely,” Jayapal continued. “The rape, of course.”
Jayapal then abruptly changed subjects: “But I think we have to remember that Israel is a democracy, that is why they are a strong ally of ours. And if they do not comply with international humanitarian law, they are bringing themselves to a place that makes it much more difficult strategically for them to be able to build the kinds of allies to keep public opinion with them.
“And frankly, morally, I think we cannot say that one war crime deserves another.
“That is not what international humanitarian law says.”
Ah yes, nothing like a healthy dose of whataboutism from an elected U.S. lawmaker to gloss over the simple fact that Hamas sparked this latest conflict with a brutal and barbaric assault of Israel on Oct. 7.
Now, anyone familiar with CNN in 2023 might’ve expected Jayapal’s remarks to skirt by, but Bash, surprisingly, held the representative’s feet to the fire.
“With respect, I was just asking about the women, and you turned it back to Israel,” Bash pointed out. “I’m asking you about Hamas, in fact.”
“I already answered your question, Dana,” Jayapal responded. “I said it’s horrific, and I think that rape is horrific, sexual assault is horrific. I think that it happens in war situations.
“Terrorist organizations like Hamas obviously are using these as tools.
“However, I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.”
Jayapal then again made it about what Israel was doing, when she began accusing them of killing countless women.
And Bash had one last searing retort to Jayapal’s latest bit of whataboutism.
“But you don’t see Israeli soldiers raping women,” Bash said.
Jayapal, probably realizing she had lost this round, suddenly shifted goalposts and said she didn’t want this to be a “hierarchy of oppression,” despite literally trying to make it a “hierarchy of oppression” by trying to paint Israel as the primary wrongdoer in all of this.
Bash did eventually relent and pivot to how the Israel-Hamas war would affect President Joe Biden (spoiler: it’ll affect him negatively).
Despite that being the end of the direct interaction between Bash and Jayapal, one more CNN employee had a jab for the suddenly embattled representative on X.
Furthermore on @CNNSOTU, she seemed to do the minimum condemnation possible before shifting topics. (2/2)
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) December 3, 2023
“Good on @DanaBashCNN to continually press @RepJayapal on condemning Hamas’ horrific sexual violence against Israeli women,” CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga posted to social media. “Jayapal repeatedly said she spoke out specifically against the sexual violence but has apparently not done so, at least on X.”
That’s biting enough, but Golodryga surprisingly dug the knife in a little deeper in a follow-up X post: “Furthermore on @CNNSOTU, she seemed to do the minimum condemnation possible before shifting topics.”
Bash thanked Golodryga on X, saying, “Thanks @biannagolodryga for leading us all by pressing leaders globally to acknowledge Hamas brutal rape of innocent Israeli women.”
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