CNN political analyst Van Jones took him to X on Sunday to apologise for comments about Gaza children who appeared on Friday’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
“I commented on “real-time with Bill Maher” about the insensitive and hurtful war in Gaza. I apologize,” Jones wrote. “The suffering of the people of Gaza, especially the children, is not a punchline. It’s very unfortunate that they came across it like that. It’s heartbreaking to see what’s going on with the children of Gaza. As a father, I can’t imagine my parents being unable to bear it and protect them from unimaginable harm.”
He continued. “I pray and work for the immediate end of this war and for the peace and security of all the families caught up in that path. I am truly sorry for the pain that my words have arisen for those who are suffering more than anyone else.”
In “real time,” Jones commented on the frequency of horrifying social media images caused by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. He said, “Iran and Qatar came up with a disinformation campaign where they run through Instagram with Tiktok. If you’re a young person, if you’re open your phone, all you see is a baby Gaza, a baby Gaza dead Gaza, a baby Gaza dead Gaza, a baby Didi, a baby Dead Gaza, a baby Dead Gaza.”
The war in Gaza was the best heart for many in Hollywood. On September 10, more than 3,900 industry names, including Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebili, Lily Gladstone and Mark Ruffalo, pledged to avoid cooperation with Israeli film companies that are eschewing “whitewasting or justification genocide and apartheid and/or government partnerships.”
A few weeks later, 1,200 Hollywood names, including Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik and Debra Messing, signed an open letter denounced the boycott of the Israeli Film Agency. The letter stated that “it is wrong, ineffective and a form of collective punishment in order to censor voices trying to find common ground and express their humanity.”
