John Oliver Calls Out Netanyahu's ‘Insulting' Attempts to ‘Deflect Our Attention' From Starving Gazans
Following in the steps of Seth Meyers last week, 'Last Week Tonight' host John Oliver used his show on Sunday night to call for U.S. aid to Gaza. But first, the HBO host called out Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 'insulting' attempts to 'deflect' from the starvation that's happening.
To kick off the episode, Oliver noted as usual that a lot happened in the week. But, he couldn't dig into much of it 'because, to quote the least horny message you could possibly get on Hinge, we need to talk about Gaza.' More specifically, Oliver wanted to take the time to discuss the lack of food available in the region.
More from TheWrap
Carrie Coon Pokes Fun at HBO Max Glitch That Caused 'The Gilded Age' to Air in Spanish
Here's When 'The View' Returns for Season 29
Paramount Streaming President and CEO Tom Ryan to Exit
John Oliver Calls Out Netanyahu's 'Insulting' Attempts to 'Deflect Our Attention' From Starving Gazans
But, despite images and video footage of families struggling to obtain food to survive, Netanyahu has said in recent press briefings that there is 'no starvation' in Gaza.
'Yeah, are you sure about that though? Because we can all see it, right in front of us,' Oliver retorted. 'And it's frankly insulting to think you can deflect our attention with all the skill of a s–tty magician.'
At that, a graphic of Netanyahu dressed as a magician popped up onscreen, showing the man holding a top hat with bunny ears sticking out.
''Ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing in this hat,'' Oliver acted out. 'Oh. f–k off! I can see its ears and it smells like rabbit s–t in here! How stupid do you think we are? And it is notable that, at this point, even Trump isn't buying it.'
Indeed, when asked directly whether he agrees with Netanyahu that there is no starvation earlier this week, Trump did not. 'I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,' he said during his visit to Scotland.
Of course, Oliver didn't think that was a good enough answer by any means.
'OK, describing starving children as looking 'very hungry' is a massive understatement, right up there with 'We were just friends,'' Oliver sniped, as an image of Trump and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein appeared onscreen.
Oliver conceded that Trump's response was a 'rare moment' of the president 'resembling empathy,' but immediately pointed out that 'he still managed to make everything about himself' by complaining that Gaza hasn't thanked the U.S. enough for aid sent so far.
As the segment went on, Oliver eventually called on the U.S. to intervene on the crisis in Gaza and pressure international officials to make sure aid is actually getting distributed.
'What's so frustrating is that most humanitarian disasters don't come with solutions as straightforward as this one,' Oliver said. 'Hurricanes don't tend to have kill switches that you can flip. You can't stop a pandemic by simply hanging a 'Do Not Infect' sign on your door.'
'But this famine truly does have an off button, as it's entirely man-made and we need to f–king press it,' Oliver finished.
'Last Week Tonight' airs Sundays at 11 p.m. ET on HBO and is streaming on HBO Max.
The post John Oliver Calls Out Netanyahu's 'Insulting' Attempts to 'Deflect Our Attention' From Starving Gazans appeared first on TheWrap.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Macaulay Culkin confirms 'Home Alone' rumors, including 'very short' stunt double
"Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin is verifying a long-running fan rumor about the children's holiday classic. In between eating spicy wings alongside "Hot Ones" host Sean Evans, Culkin, 44, confirmed that his stunt double in the 1990 movie was a "very short" 30-year-old man named Larry Nicholas. The notoriously elusive child star visited Evans' show on the Thursday, Aug. 7, episode to participate in a now time-honored celebrity tradition: Stars eat increasingly hot wings while answering personal questions. "Is it true that your stunt double was a very short 30-year-old man?" Evans, 39, asked. "Yeah, his name was Larry, and I saw him in the wardrobe department for the first time," Culkin replied. "I get changed and I walk out and there's this guy, Larry, dressed exactly like me 'cause we're both trying on the same outfit." Culkin said he greeted Nicholas, who asked how old he thought he was. "I go, 'That's a loaded question.' I know he's much older than me 'cause I was 9. So it was loaded," the actor said. "I go, '13'?" Needless to say, the guess was wrong, but Culkin said there was no bad blood. "He thought that was funny," the actor added. The movie, which has since become a holiday season staple with its slapstick comedy, launched Culkin into a singular kind of fame. Followed two years later by a much-beloved sequel, the film franchise featured major stars like Joe Pesci, Catherine O'Hara and even President Donald Trump. Culkin, who has since returned to the screen on the HBO show "The Righteous Gemstones," told Evans that he later grew protective of Nicholas. He recalled a scene they tried to shoot in which Nicholas was being crushed by a shelf. "It was a vicious first take," he said. "They didn't like the way everything felt, and they do it again … And I'm going, 'Please take it easy on Larry. He's only 13 years old.'" Culkin went on to confirm another rumor that Pesci, who played a burglar in the film, kept his distance while they were shooting to ensure the child star would remain authentically afraid of him. "That's what I heard," Culkin said. "I can see why he was kind of like, 'Oh, I want to scare the kid.'"
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Recall Parliament to debate Netanyahu's Gaza plan, Green MP urges
MPs should urgently gather in Westminster to debate Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza City, a Green MP has urged. Fronting the Green Party's bid for a recall of Parliament during the summer recess, Ellie Chowns warned the Israeli security cabinet's plan risked creating 'untold human suffering'. Mr Netanyahu's office has unveiled new principles for military action which include 'the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip', 'Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip' and 'the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority'. The Israel Defence Forces 'will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones'. More than 61,000 people have been killed during Israeli military action in Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, in a conflict which began after a Hamas-led attack killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7 2023. Among the count are at least 13 people killed in southern Gaza on Thursday as they sought aid in an Israeli military zone. 'Netanyahu's brutal plan to take control of Gaza is yet another declaration of intent to commit war crimes and will lead to untold catastrophic civilian suffering,' Ms Chowns said. 'The UK must do far more than simply express disapproval. 'We need to recall Parliament immediately to hold the UK Government to account, to urgently assess whether we are meeting our obligations under the Genocide Convention and to enact immediate measures — including sanctions on the Israeli cabinet and suspension of all military co-operation and arms sales — to prevent further atrocities. 'The consequences of delay will be measured in countless innocent lives lost.' The North Herefordshire MP also called on the Government to publish its risk assessment of genocide in Gaza or a timeline for evidence-gathering. She also urged ministers to use diplomatic channels to press for a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza, safe release of the remaining hostages and an international inquiry into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israel. Critics of Mr Netanyahu's plan include Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said the Israeli government risked bringing 'more bloodshed'. He said: 'The Israeli government's decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong and we urge it to reconsider immediately. 'This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages.' German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Israel 'has the right to defend itself against Hamas's terror' and added working towards a ceasefire and release of the hostages were a 'top priority' for the government in Berlin. But 'the even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved', he said.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Even Republicans have questions about Israel's plan to occupy Gaza City
Some congressional Republicans are raising questions about Israel's planned occupation of Gaza City as pro-Israel Democrats push back on the operation with unusual ferocity. Why it matters: Israel's coalition of political allies in the U.S. has become scrambled in recent weeks amid a growing humanitarian crisis is Gaza — and a coinciding drop in U.S. public opinion towards Israel. Lawmakers sympathetic to Israel are warning that the plan could be a logistical nightmare and warning the country to tread carefully and avoid further alienating the international community. It's not just Democrats questioning the plan: "I'd like to know who is actually going to run it," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee that oversees the Middle East, told Axios. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), another member of the panel, told Axios: "Occupation for security also comes with the responsibility of providing humanitarian assistance and creating an economic future." State of play: The Israeli security cabinet on Thursday approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to have the IDF "take control" of Gaza City in an effort to defeat Hamas. In addition to occupying Gaza City, which is expected to take months and displace around 1 million Palestinian civilians, the IDF will also be charged with distributing humanitarian aid, Axios' Barak Ravid reported. The IDF's chief of staff pushing back during the cabinet meeting by arguing the plan could endanger Israeli hostages in Gaza and lead to protracted Israeli military governance. President Trump, who has split with Netanyahu on allegations of famine in Gaza, is not planning to intervene to oppose the operation. Driving the news: Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the roughly 100-member New Democrat Coalition and a vocal pro-Israel centrist, called the plan "tactically questionable and strategically self-defeating." "If implemented, the decision is more likely to play into Hamas's original objectives in starting this war and further unite much of the world against Israel than it is to bring home the last surviving hostages and advance the security needs of the nation," Schneider said in a statement. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), one of Democrats' staunchest Israel backers, said in a statement that Israel is the "ultimate arbiter of its own security" but that "the war in Gaza is in danger of becoming a quagmire." Drawing comparisons to the protracted American conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Torres urged Israel to maintain a narrow focus on securing the release of the remaining hostages. Yes, but: Israel is still not without its unflinching Republican supporters in Congress. "In the absence of a ceasefire, which Hamas repeatedly rejects, Israel is left with no choice," Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), the chair of the Foreign Affairs middle east subcommittee, told Axios. "If everyone agrees Hamas cannot remain in power and the hostages must be released, how do you expect to get there? Who is going to force that? The UK? France?"
