FOX Nation host Piers Morgan joined "FOX & Friends" Monday to react to Rep. Pramila Jayapal's refusal to outright condemn violence against women by Hamas. Morgan said the Seattle-area Squad Democrat's attempt to draw moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas terrorists was "contemptible."
PIERS MORGAN: One of the most painful things I think I've ever watched. And I was watching it live actually, here in London as the interview took place, and as it went on, it got more painful and more shameful because it was quite clear that she did not want to outright condemn what Hamas did to women on that day. And there was a huge report that came out in London on the weekend in The Sunday Times here by Christina Lamb, who is one of the finest foreign correspondents in the world. And the sheer, unrelenting, horrific details of what she reported on what happened to women that day, the multiple rapes, the murders, the appalling treatment of women singled out in many cases because they were women and how many were abused horrifically before they were killed. And the idea that another woman, a female politician, could not bring it in herself to actually outright condemn it without trying to draw some moral equivalence with Israel's defense of itself after that terror attack, I thought was contemptible.
CNN host Dana Bash clashed with Jayapal, D-Wash., over the lack of widespread condemnation of Hamas' use of sexual violence against Israeli women during their Oct. 7 attacks.
"I want to ask you about sexual violence, and it’s kind of remarkable that this issue hasn’t gotten enough attention, globally. Widespread use of rape, brutal rape, sexual violence against Israeli women by Hamas. I’ve seen a lot of progressive women, generally speaking, they’re quick to defend women’s rights and to speak out against using rape as a weapon of war, but downright silent on what we saw on October 7. And what might be happening inside Gaza right now to these hostages. Why is that?" Bash asked.
"But I think we have to remember Israel is a democracy. That is why they’re 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 allies, to keep public opinion with them, and frankly, morally, we cannot say that one war crime deserves another. That is not what international humanitarian law says," Jayapal said.
"With respect, I was just asking about the women, and you turned it back to Israel. I’m asking you about Hamas," Bash said.
Jayapal drew widespread outrage by claiming "we have to be balanced" with criticism.
"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."
