Comedian Bill Burr and HBO host Bill Maher got into a tense exchange Sunday while discussing Israel’s war on Hamas during Maher’s “Club Random” podcast.
The pair came to such a disagreement on Israel’s targeting of Hamas in Gaza that Burr challenged Maher’s political chops and asked him, “Why am I f***ing listening to you like … like you’ve done something?”
On the usually cordial and relaxed podcast, in which Maher sometimes shares a drink and cigars with guests, Burr and the host butted heads when Maher took a hard-line stance against those who attack the Jewish state.
The conversation started with an innocent reference to Harvard, which led Maher to ask Burr if he knew about college students nationwide openly siding against Israel.
A disagreement quickly escalated.
“They are in with the terrorists,” Maher said of university students nationwide.
Burr replied, “They were for the Palestinians.”
Maher indicated he did not see a lot of nuance on the issue when he exclaimed, “Well, it’s sort of the same cause.”
When Maher asked Burr if he was on the side of those in Gaza, the comedian implied there was a genocide against children being carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Do you stand with Israel?
“I’m on the side of the kids,” Burr said.
Maher replied, “Yeah, that’s easy to say. You know, no one wants to see kids dead.”
The two then sparred after Burr sarcastically said it was “brave” of Maher to say publicly he did not wish to see children killed in the conflict.
“Oh, pat yourself on the back,” the comedian said.
WARNING: The following videos contain language that might offend some viewers.
“I’m on the side of the kids”
Bill Burr supports the Palestine protests on college campuses and thinks the Russia Ukraine war can be solved on a podcast. pic.twitter.com/QRUFVSAOHN
— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) May 13, 2024
“It’s easy to say, ‘I’m for the kids,’” Maher shot back. “Who’s not for the kids? It comes down to real hard-nosed decisions.”
Burr then cut the host off and said, “Stop talking like you’re a general.”
Maher explained that, to people who side with Israel, the conflict is simple in that the Jewish state was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7 of last year and that it responded with force.
“They’re the only country in the world that they get attacked, and then as soon as they counterattack, it’s like, ‘Well, we gotta stop this s*** now.’” Maher said. “‘Don’t attack them’” is a very simple solution to all [these] problems in the Middle East. Stop attacking Israel.”
Burr conceded that Maher had “solved” the issue, to which Maher replied, “I did.”
But the comedian replied with more sarcasm.
“That’s fantastic,” Burr said. “Let’s go to Russia and the Ukraine. How do you solve that one, Bill? Let me hear your hard-nosed decision about that. Well, let me ask you a question. How is war still legal, with all this s*** that’s been canceled? Why is that still f***ing legal?”
Maher responded:
“Would you like a real answer to that? Because for something to be illegal, you have to have the capacity to enforce it. And you can’t enforce against war, or else you have to go to war with the country that’s going to war.
“And we don’t want to go to war with Russia over Ukraine. What would be the sense of making it illegal? Oh, that’s really going to stop Putin. No, to stop people from going to war, you have to also put boots on.”
Burr sarcastically said the war in Europe would be over if only Russian President Vladimir Putin could sit down with his enemies and talk over the conflict on a podcast such as Maher’s.
Maher, apparently sensing that he and his guest were not going to come to an agreement on the issue of war, said, “This is why this is not your thing. This is my thing.”
Burr then challenged Maher’s claimed expertise on foreign policy and geopolitics when he retorted, “It’s not your thing.”
“It isn’t your thing — it isn’t,” Burr concluded. “You’re like that guy that has a fantasy football team and thinks he’s a f***ing GM. That’s exactly what it is. Like, why am I f***ing listening to you like you like you’ve done something? What have you done in Washington? Nothing.”
