Maher’s remarks come in the wake of heightened tensions following the May 21, 2025, murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The suspect, 31-year-old Chicago resident Elias Rodriguez, allegedly shouted “Free, free Palestine” and “I did it for Gaza” during his arrest, with a manifesto posted on X under his name urging readers to “escalate for Gaza” and “bring the war home.”
The FBI is investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime and act of terrorism, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a “horrific antisemitic murder” powered by “Hamas’s propaganda campaigns and false reports of atrocities.”
Maher’s critique also addressed the broader anti-Israel movement, particularly on American college campuses, where many activists have echoed Hamas’s slogans calling for Israel’s destruction.
He expressed bewilderment at this support, stating, “That’s what’s so ironic about liberals being so supportive of Hamas, is because you’re liberals and these are the people, I’m sorry, but this ideology, Islam, even in its more benign forms, yes, I agree, the vast majority of Muslims, not terrorists, of course. But Islamists, which is the word we use to describe people who are not terrorists, but kind of agree with the things terrorists are doing, that’s a much higher number. That’s many millions of people.” He argued that the “fundamental rights” liberals cherish in America, such as freedom of speech and gender equality, “would not exist in Gaza or in other Islamic countries.”
The comedian’s comments echo his earlier criticism of the Democratic Party for failing to curb anti-Israel sentiment within its ranks. Earlier in May 2025, Maher warned, “If the thought leaders in the Democratic Party keep encouraging and not rebuking that America is cringe and the people who run Gaza are great, the Democrats are doomed.”
He admitted that his outspoken views on Islam have made him a target of the far left, saying, “One of the main reasons why the far left started to really hate me is because I call out Islam as what it is, extremely illiberal.” Posts on X reflected similar sentiments, with users like @pr0ud_americans noting Maher’s quip, “Most Muslim societies live under Sharia: Good luck with that, Hamas fans,” though some criticized him for oversimplifying the issue.
