Bill Maher, Comedian Defends Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

           2010 picture of Bill Maher, born January 20, 1956 in New York is 69 years old

Bill Maher, comedian, was speaking to an Israel basher on a website called "Jewish Uncensored" this morning, a short piece that started on May 15, 2025  that I found on Youtube, and being Maher, I paid closer attention.  He is popularly known for the HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher (2003–present) and the similar late-night show called Politically Incorrect (1993–2002), originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC. In 2022, Maher started the podcast Club Random.  During this bit, he defended Israel by fact checking while on air.  It was so appropriate since today is the 600th day that the October 7th hostages have been suffering who are now down to about 20 live ones out of 251. Israel wants the deceased bodies returned for proper burial.                                         

Comedian Bill Maher trashed liberals in the United States who agree with the terror group Hamas on the topic of Israel.  During the latest episode of his “Club Random” podcast – featuring podcast host Tim Pool as his guest –the comedian marveled at how liberals could support the Israel-hating, radical Islamic terrorists. “Most Muslim societies live under some form of sharia law, which no westerner who thinks that Hamas is so great could ever live under,” Maher said.

                                       1990 on the Tonight Show

Bill is interesting.  He's unmarried.  His father was an Irish Catholic and his mother was a Jewish  Hungarian.  The father was William Aloysius Maher Jr.,  a network news editor and radio announcer, while his mother, Julie Maher (née Berman, was a nurse.  

Though Bill or "William"'s mother was Jewish, making Bill by Jewish law also Jewish, he is not religious. His father disagreed with the Catholic birth control so Bill's education in that stopped at, surprisingly, age 13 the age of bar mitzvah.  Bill doesn't like any religions.  His critical views of religion were the basis for his 2008 documentary film Religulous.   He has referred to tenets of Judaism as "insane" and "funny", (If he would study it, he would see there are reasons for everything in Judaism).  

He did the outrageous  in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when  he initially endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders on February 5, 2016!  Sanders is so against Israel, and he is Jewish, making it even sadder.  Then Maher has done a turn-around by February 2025, Maher endorsed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman for the 2028 Democratic Party presidential primaries and praised his strong support of Israel and stance against "woke".                                            

     Maher on Jimmy Kimmel live, 2014 

   Again, in 2022 with Jimmy Kimmel

On the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Maher says he is "more on the side of the Israelis" and does not consider both sides equally guilty. He acknowledges that "Palestinians do have gripes", and he has been critical of U.S. financial aid to Israel, saying "they don't need our money, they can handle it themselves." Maher says that most Israelis prefer a two-state solutions ( I believe this has changed since Oct. 7th) and oppose the hard-line stance of their government, which he describes as having been taken over by their version of the Tea Party. However, Maher has defended Israel's military actions against Palestinians amid criticism over civilian deaths and disproportionate casualty count between Israelis and Palestinians during the 2014 Gaza war. He argues that Israel is still showing restraint, and he finds it ironic that the same people who were incredulous over how the Jews in World War II were led "to their slaughter" cannot understand why they are defending themselves now. Maher faced online backlash for tweeting at the start of the war, "Dealing w/ Hamas is like dealing w/ a crazy woman who's trying to kill u - u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her".

In August 2019, Maher denounced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, saying: "It's predicated on this notion ... I think it's very shallow thinking that the Jews in Israel are mostly white and Palestinians are mostly brown, so they must be innocent and correct and the Jews must be wrong." He responded to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show: "Some people have one move only: boycott. Cancel. Make-go-away. But here's the thing, the house voted 318 to 17 to condemn the #BDS movement, including 93% of Dems. Does Tlaib want to boycott 93% of her own party?"

 Condemning the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Maher spoke about it as Israel's 9/11, and took serious issue with people who seemed to applaud these attacks; however, he cautioned Israel not to "lose the moral high ground" in the Gaza war. Maher expressed disappointment with former President Barack Obama over his comments on the Gaza war, saying that "there is a big difference between collateral damage and what Hamas did."

He's highlighted on:  Israeli defense

He comes up with quips none of us think of...Good going, Maher.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/maher-calls-out-liberals-backing-hamas-despite-terror-groups-extremist-views

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V76HS4jHoJE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeKxc9DN2TY

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240409-bill-maher-claims-palestine-belongs-to-jews/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1268297043859198

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAZHQgtupy2/ another comment; young only get history on  instagram, need to read more

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy0ZV5utLLP/

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Maher

https://nypost.com/2025/05/28/media/bill-maher-calls-out-us-liberals-who-support-hamas-terror-group/

When Portland State U: Alma Mater Became Anti-Semitic

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                

    On becoming Queen Esther at the February Purim Ball back in 1951, another of our own  life experiences  aside from high school activities, backed by the Jews of Portland.  Anti-Semitism permeated in Portland through ways of keeping us separate from the general population, like athletic clubs with their NO JEWS Allowed.  We teen-agers were not as aware of what the adults experienced in this.  It was also happening in getting jobs everywhere, not just Portland.  My in-law, Corrine,  in Brooklyn,  couldn't get a job with the telephone company because of being Jewish.  

Anti-Semitism had been going on all over the USA for years before it hit the universities.  

Maybe having so many Arabs attending at one point in time changed the atmosphere.  They were peddling BDS among other things. Iranian students began attending universities in Oregon in the early 1970s, including Portland State University. Most of these students were young men who came to the US to study science and engineering. Their goal was to return to Iran to work in its growing economy. 

October 4, 2001-Vanguard :  Currently, 75 Middle Eastern students are enrolled at Portland State. The largest amount of Middle Eastern students come from the United Arab Emirates, 36 from Saudi Arabia and 25 students from Kuwait. There are also a few students from each of the following nations: Yemen, Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, Iran and Syria.  Sadly, with the Arabs came demonstrations against Israel.  

Portland, OR (October 26, 2016)— The student senate of the Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU) passed a resolution earlier this week brought forward by Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER). The resolution calls on the university to divest from Israeli apartheid by an overwhelming vote of 22-2, with 1 abstention.  Here's where anti- Semitism really begins....

In 2017,  President Trump had a travel ban.  It affected Iranian students going to

 Portland State.  Portland State University announced Thursday on July 6, 2017,  its top donor has made a new $5 million dollar gift, completing the school’s fundraising campaign to renovate a key building, Neuberger Hall.  The gift came from PSU alumnus Fariborz Maseeh, an Iranian-American investor and engineer.  In addition to Maseeh’s gift, Portland philanthropist,  Jordan Schnitzer , gave $4 million for the renovation.  Money talks at universities who always need it.  

                                           Washington High Graduate 1951,  Me.  

Way back in 1951, I graduated a Portland high school and passed the test to enter Lewis & Clark College.  By 1953, I was married, had a son, and had transferred to Portland State which was still in the act of growing and building.  We could hear all the noises of hammering and drilling in our classrooms that were also full of returnees from the Korean War, men, not boys, who asked terrifically deep questions in class.  There was no anti-semitism then that I noticed, whereas there had been in my high school cafeteria.

I remember once sitting with other students at a table in the cafeteria, a rarity for me since I usually ate my Mom's sack lunch at The Shack and finishing it off with a soft ice cream cone with several friends.  The conversation had turned to Jews and how terrible they were.  I sat there appalled, wondering what to do.  I had skipped a year so was a year younger than they were, not mature enough to be contrary, but this was too much for me.  I quietly interrupted at their pause, saying, I'M JEWISH.  I caught their embarrassment, and they seemed to gulp and changed the conversation.  I must say, with my dirty blonde hair, I didn't "look" Jewish.  I'd make a good spy.      

At one of our dances; below are my cousin, Nathan and his date and other friends.  I'm on the right side.   My date, Sam Arnstein, is on the left side.                                

No wonder, I thought, why I hadn't been asked to join any of the sororities; they disliked Jews.    I had finally joined an all Jewish sorority of sorts, the BBG Girls, managed by the B'nai Brith who must have caught onto Jewish girls' dilemma in school.  That led to another group; QED (Queen Esther's Daughters,  and a 3rd, Sub Deb.  I was having fun aside from high school, and feeling wanted.  Evidently Parents had stepped forward to care for our facing anti-Semitism.  We held our own formal dances with their help, too.  One time after that I was asked to join a school sorority, but declined.  Too busy.

Eight years later, my only other sibling, my brother born in 1942, went to the same high school.  He became the Student Body President.  He was a handsome lad,  blonde and blue-eyed, had been the Jr. Rose Festival Prime Minister, and that shows that anti-Semitism by 1960 was contained,  and David did not feel any anti-Semitism then.  However, to be truthful-he spent the summer between his junior and senior year as a foreign exchange student --- in Germany, and certainly realized it there with his own school instructor, but not with the family he lived with.  I have to brag; he wound up with 2 PhDs, and I had been his chief baby-sitter, helping him to develop.  I take all credit 😀 so I became a teacher.  

In the late 1960s, Palestinian secular movements like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Al Fatah began to target civilians outside of the conflict zone.     Israeli restaurant hit by suicide bomber... danger everywhere, even in a box on the street left by terrorists.  By 1980, Iran was fighting Iraq, each about to wipe the other out...We made our move....to Israel.   It was to be a move for keeps.  

  Just moved into  apartment in Safed, Israel, 1981, ground floor with window  barred. We moved in September 1980 living in Haifa while attending school and certification to teach.

By 1980, I had been reading and studying alone about Israel and had talked my next husband, also a teacher, a high school teacher at that,  whose main interest was American history, to move to Israel with me and our dog, Blintz.  We did; teaching and learning, leaving Israel during Thanksgiving 1985.  My son, now 32 in Portland,  had become very ill and we returned to help him.  

Since my youth, I have heard many stories of Palestinians taking over Portland State and not allowing Jewish students entrance to their classes.  I note in my March 2009 blog that anti-Semitism was going strong at colleges and universities.  CUFI Presents Erick Stakelbeck at Portland State U. was an article I wrote on May 14, 2012.  CUFI stands for Christians United For Israel, and they are very pro-Israel along with me.

I even attended some in-services of speakers telling us of the Problems at Portland State and the people keeping Jewish students away from their classes, taking over the halls, etc.  Life was changing, even at a school like Portland State,  for the worst.  

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - On Monday, (February 3, 2025) the U.S. Department of Education announced it was investigating cases of antisemitism at Portland State University, as well as four other universities.

The investigation is a reaction to President Trump’s executive order, signed last week, designed to combat antisemitism.

“The U.S. Department of Education today announced investigations into five institutions of higher education where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported,” the department stated in a release. “The investigations are in response to the explosion of antisemitism on American campuses following the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.”

The schools are:

• Columbia University
• Northwestern University
• Portland State University
• The University of California, Berkeley
• The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

I can say that it has been going on for a long time.

By May 7, 2020, I wrote in another blog I started "The Fight Against Growing Propaganda, telling what was happening at Portland State in particular because of BDS (Boycotting, Divestments and Sanctions) no doubt having much to do with growing anti-Semitism.      

Portland State University (PSU) in Portland, Oregon began as the Vanport Extension Center in 1946. It was created to provide higher education to World War II veterans using the G.I. Bill. The university became permanent in 1952, and was renamed Portland State College in 1955. It was elevated to university status in 1969.   

PSU made headlines in spring 2024 for an encampment that turned into a multiday occupation of the university’s Millar Library. The occupiers did $1.23 million in damage before police removed them. Campus protesters demanded the university sever ties with Boeing, (part of BDS organizing, no doubt ) call for a cease-fire in Gaza, and stop selling Israeli-made merchandise on campus, (more of BDS activity)  .

The university ultimately paused connections with Boeing, which had previously made investments at PSU. Students protested the company because it helped build Israel’s missile-defense system and shipped it bombs after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.  

The Department of Education specifically referred to campus encampments for Gaza in its announcement of the investigations.  

Students at more than 100 colleges across the U.S. have set up protest encampments to demand their schools divest from companies supporting Israel.

Resource:

Update: 2/5/25 in evening

https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/student-protests-pro-palestinian-encampments/

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/02/boycott-divestment-and-sanctions.html *****

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/02/spreading-federal-research-of-anti.html ****

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/iranians-in-oregon/#:~:text=At%20that%20time%2C%20most%20were%20young%2C%20single,students%20intended%20to%20return%20to%20Iran%2C%20however

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2013/02/cufis-honoring-israel-night.html

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2013/06/usas-position-on-anti-semitism.html

https://www.kptv.com/2025/02/03/feds-investigate-widespread-antisemitism-portland-state-university-4-other-schools/

https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-fight-against-growing-propaganda.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_antisemitism_in_the_United_States *****

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Stakelbeck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_and_antisemitism *****

https://psuvanguard.com/arab-students-experience-at-psu-positive/

https://www.wweek.com/news/2016/07/26/is-it-true-that-the-multnomah-athletic-club-did-not-allow-jews-to-become-members-until-the-1970s/#:~:text=There's%20no%20reason%20to%20heap,doors%20to%20Jews%20in%201958.-added 2/10/25  at 7:21am

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/02/moe-tonkon-tonkin-jewish-son-of.html  added 2/10/25 at 4:16pm 

It was possibly Itamar Marcus who spoke to our group about what was happening in Israel, BDS, etc.  That name seems so familiar; at Portland State ...2/11/25 6:34pm

The Israel Guys: Defenders of Israel Who Are Christians

 Nadene Goldfoot                                        

                                  Luke Hilton, director and show host, one of the two Israel guys on the program.  

Joshua Waller, the other Israel Guy on the two-man show where they both discuss what is going on in Israel.  

I just listened to another program of "THE ISRAEL GUYS, who are two Christians living in Israel who are strong proponents of Israel and are defending her on their show which I am getting on YouTube. The show is mainly a 2-family affair with Zac and Tommy Waller,  and  show hosts and authors, and Andrew, Josiah and Justin Hilton as the the production director and the show production, and includes Andrew Parsons as the marketing and Web designer.  

This their show of April 21,2022 called "The Truth About the Temple Mount Riots."  They did such an excellent job, telling everything I would have said and then more.  They live there right now and were on the Temple Mount, and got pictures of the whole affair.  They were there with a stroller, so one must have had his baby with him as they walked among other tourists visiting the site.  

They were witnesses to what was happening.  They told of seeing very non-religious Arabs in the Al Aqsa Mosque throwing wood, etc, out of windows they themselves broke in order to attack those outside, and then the world thinks it's Israel who did the attacking.  They had no respect for their own mosque.  The 4 countries on the Abraham Accord has joined Jordan in condemning Israel, sadly, going along with believing the lies told by the Palestinians doing all the damage. 

Another sad point is that PM Bennett, a weak PM as it is in the Knesset position, gave into the Arab demands and has closed the Temple Mount to Christians and Jews for the next 12 days, right during the tourist time of Easter of the Christians and Passover for the Jews.  Arabs, who we know do respond better to a position of strength, now see Israel's weakness, which will fortify them in further dealings.  The Israel Guys don't see Bennett lasting much longer.

The Israel Guys say:  We are a non-profit Christian organization based in Israel's heartland. We bring Christians from around the world to experience Israel for themselves. . 

 "Working in Israel’s biblical heartland for the past 17 years has given us first-hand insight into what actually takes place on Israel’s front lines on a daily basis.  Since mainstream media only spews lies and negativity regarding Israel, we realized that pro-Israel Christians need an accurate, faith-based source when it comes to understanding the land and people that call this land home. Through podcasts, videos and articles, we bring you the land, people and stories straight from Israel’s front lines each and every week."

These are rock-throwing Arabs.  Jews are allowed to walk on the Temple Mount but are not allowed to pray, according to Jordanian religious Muslim rules.  After the 1967 War, when Israel won against an all Arab attack of many Muslim countries, Moshe Dayan, our general, magnanimously gave the holding of the Temple Mount to Jordanian rule, being that several mosques were there, thinking they would behave in kind to Israel, but they didn't.  Jews have to pray at the Wailing Wall/Western Wall/Kotel far below, 

Since mainstream media only spews lies and negativity regarding Israel, we realized that pro-Israel Christians need an accurate, faith-based source when it comes to understanding the land and people that call this land home. Through podcasts, videos and articles, we bring you the land, people and stories straight from Israel’s front lines each and every week.                                      

I lived in Haifa and Safed from 1980 to the end of 1985 and have been to the Temple Mount.  Luckily it was peaceful then, but I know what they are seeing and doing other than rioting.  They must have arrived in 2005 as very young men as they still look young to me.   Here are Jewish men praying at the Wall.  It's really part of the wall enclosing Herod's Temple that is still standing in the Old city of Jerusalem.  The 5 lower courses are each over 3' high.  The wall continues over 60' but underground.  Because it is so close to the Holy of Holies, the west end of the Temple, this part of the wall was regarded as sacred in popular history as far back as the Talmudic Period to the 10th century.  The area in front of the Western Wall is Moslem property (thanks Moshe Dayan). A serious dispute broke out between the Jews and Moslems in 1929 and 1931 and the League of Nations stepped in to regulate everyone's rights.  However, in 1948 when Israel became a country, and the Jews were cut off from it and didn't gain it back until the big Muslim attack where they lost and Israel gained it back in 1967.                                        

1967 when IDF paratroopers saw the wall for the 1st time.

As the Israel Guys say on their website:  Our world today is permeated with lies and negativity concerning the Holy Land.

The aerial view of the Temple Mount

I love the show and feel they really know how to share the truth.  G-d Bless them and keep them safe.