Destroying Ideas
Bill Maher and Henry Winkler

Bill Maher and actor Henry Winkler recently butted heads over Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is rooted in historical territorial disputes and national identity issues.

The conflict is widely viewed as a complex issue that has chiefly affected Palestinian territories. Recent escalations have led to significant humanitarian crises, with high civilian casualties and destruction, while international responses remain divided.

“They’re not gonna eliminate Hamas, Hamas is an idea, not a group of people,” Winkler argued.

Destroying Ideas
Maher countered by referencing World War II, suggesting that ideas can be destroyed by conquering regimes. Winkler argued that the conflict serves to radicalize more individuals to join Hamas, to which Maher noted the complexities of military operations and the intentions of the Israeli Defense Forces.
Now Homeless
“You don’t think that all those people that are now homeless, and their families are destroyed, you don’t think that they are now Hamas again?” Winkler pressed.
Morally Confused
“Do you know what’s going on, really, underneath Gaza and all the tunnels and how close they are? I don’t either, but you know who does know? The Israeli Defense Forces,” Maher said. “Now are they perfect? Absolutely not, but again, they’re not the ones purposely killing civilians. They try not to kill civilians. If you can’t understand that difference, morally, then you’re very morally confused.”
The Same Footage
“Are you watching the same footage I’m watching?” Winkler asked. “You think they are trying to kill civilians?” Maher shot back, to which Winkler said, “I think that it is indiscriminate.”
What War Becomes
Despite their disagreements, both maintained mutual respect throughout the conversation. “That’s what war is,” Maher said. “War becomes that. There is no war you can name that didn’t. Sherman burned Atlanta to the ground and it wasn’t just the military people he was killing. It’s a shame, but again, there’s a very simple solution to this: Stop attacking Israel. Jews used to know this.”
Agree to Disagree
“I disagree a little bit with what you’re saying, I don’t think that the head of Israel at this moment is a soulful human being,” Winkler said. “That may be true too,” Maher acknowledged. “I didn’t say he wasn’t, and I didn’t say even that he might not be doing what you suggested he might be doing. What I was saying is that even if those things are true, it could also be true that this is the correct policy, which I believe it is. I think you’ve gone 11 months to do this let’s finish it while we’re there.”