CNN on Thursday parted ways with contributor Marc Lamont Hill after a speech the college professor made on Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations.
A CNN spokesperson confirmed Hill is no longer under contract. The network did not give a reason, but the move comes amid objections to Hill’s speech by the Anti-Defamation League and other groups.
Hill, a professor of media studies at Temple University who had been a recurring political commentator on CNN, called for countries to boycott and divest from Israel in the Wednesday speech given for the UN’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
“We have an opportunity to not just offer solidarity in words but to commit to political action, grass-roots action, local action and international action that will give us what justice requires and that is a free Palestine from the river to the sea,” Hill said in the speech.
CNN’s Marc Lamont Hill appears to call for violence against Israel and for the elimination of Israel, says, “Justice requires a free Palestine from the river to the sea.”
The phrase “from the river to the sea” is a phrase used by those who believe Israel should be eliminated. pic.twitter.com/26TL205Ylb
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 28, 2018
The ADL and others said the “river to the sea” phrase is code for the destruction of Israel often used by Hamas and terror groups bent on its destruction.
“Those calling for ‘from the river to the sea’ are calling for an end to the State of Israel,” the ADL’s Senior Vice President for International Affairs, Sharon Nazarian, said in a statement, adding that the annual event at the UN “promotes divisiveness and hate.”
Hill referred to the Palestinians as “an occupied people”, and said he boycotted Israeli water on a recent trip to the country.
CNN’s Marc Lamont Hill also said at the U.N. that he refuses to drink Israel’s water pic.twitter.com/r5DbcX0Qdn
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 29, 2018
Hill sent a series of tweets responding to his firing and defending his speech.
“My reference to ‘river to the sea’ was not a call to destroy anything or anyone,” Hill said on Twitter. “It was a call for justice, both in Israel and in the West Bank/Gaza. The speech very clearly and specifically said those things.”
“I support Palestinian freedom. I support Palestinian self-determination,” Hill tweeted, adding, “I do not support anti-Semitism, killing Jewish people, or any of the other things attributed to my speech. I have spent my life fighting these things.”
A Congresswoman-elect, of Palestinian heritage, defends Hill:
Calling out the oppressive policies in Israel, advocating for Palestinians to be respected, and for Israelis and Palestinians alike to have peace and freedom is not antisemitic. @CNN, we all have a right to speak up about injustice any and everywhere. @marclamonthill https://t.co/YT49WCxVbo
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) November 30, 2018
Hill said in 2008 while on Fox News that he couldn’t be sure if Hitler-worshipper Louis Farrakhan was an “anti-semite” and said that Farrakhan’s quote calling Judaism a “gutter religion” was taken “out of context” pic.twitter.com/eEPeVtEno7
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 28, 2018
I was honored to sit with my beloved brother @marclamonthill for a wonderful conversation. pic.twitter.com/CdDFPXvin7
— MINISTER FARRAKHAN (@LouisFarrakhan) August 11, 2016
Yup. We orchestrated @marclamonthill‘s appearance at the UN and put him in a trance-like state, forcing him to embark on a 21-minute televised rant in which he openly endorsed Palestinian violence against Israelis and called for Israel’s eradication. We are JUST THAT GOOD. pic.twitter.com/ALvSTzFw25
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) November 30, 2018
(AP)
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5 Responses
Better late than never. There are still other talking heads at the various networks (including Fox) that consistently use code words for themes but skirt the edges of a what a network executive or legal department monitor would find over the top. A big part of the problem in the insatiable demand for “talking heads” by a proliferation of cable news networks and media outlets whose young and inexperienced producers who book these talking heads prefer those who espouse the most outspoken and controversial positions over those who are more knowledgeable and expert (and generally boring). Ratings drive the process, not informing the tzibur through respectful and thoughtful exchanges of ideas. Fortunately, the network anchors are pushing back on some of the guests booked on their shows. On two occasions recently, Fox anchors have interrupted and contradicted talking heads for taking racist positions or using racial slurs.
It is becoming a disturbing pattern: so man Trump supporters are involved in blatant antisemitism and hate related crimes. Trump should tone-down his divisive rhetoric before things really get out of hand.
Fake News CNN has allowed Hill to spew his Jew-hatted for many years:
In 2014, Hill had claimed on CNN that the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish teens, Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah wasn’t “terrorism”, but “resistance”.
This is the same Network where some Obama worshiping village idiots, who comment on this site, get their news from.
Credit must be given where credit is due
Moishele: In a competition for truly uninformed and hateful commentary, its a close competition between the talking heads enlisted by CNN/MSNBC and those of Fox/One America etc. The Fox guests seem obsessed with trying out for positions with the Trumpkopf whereas the CNN/MSNBC ‘strategists” are equally focused on enhancing their “progressive” creds.
The real problem is that the business model for cable network News and media in general has changed and there is little room left in the “middle” for down the center hard, factual and objective news reporting where is inherently boring and rating disasters. The commercial decision has been to move news coverage and commentary to the opposite ends of the spectrum and thrown red meat to your chassidim Case in point: Expect Fox to gradually move away from any hard news coverage (aka Shepard Smith and Bret Baier) and focus entirely on commentary (aka 24×7 Hannity/Lou Dobbs/ Laura Ingram/Tucker Carldson).