Geraldo Rivera gave co-host Andrea Tantaros just what she deserved yesterday as she didn’t just defend an Israeli attack on a U.N. shelter in Gaza but blamed the Gaza children for being there in the first place.
Rivera, who is half Jewish, has done a good job standing against the Israel hawks that make up most of the rest of Fox News talking heads. He did so again on yesterday's Outnumbered show.
RIVERA: Israel has only itself to blame. The force used has been so grossly disproportionate. They have inflicted civilian casualties in a way that the United States and the U.N. Secretary General are correct to call “appalling.” …This is a travesty. It is hurting Israel on the world stage. It is undermining support of the Jewish state.
Outnumbered co-host Jedediah Bila responded first. She defended Israel for obeying “humanitarian windows” and doing “a lot to make sure that civilians in Gaza are protected.” She questioned whether it was fair to criticize Israel for “firing back” on rockets from Gaza.
Rivera’s response was, essentially, that the Iron Dome protects Israel so well that its barrage on Gaza is not necessary.
But leave it to Andrea Tantaros – the woman who urged her radio show listeners to do physical violence to Obama supporters – to blame the children of Gaza for their own deaths. “What are kids doing in schools in the first place in war? What are they doing in school?” she asked. “They put these kids in a school, put weapons deliberately in a school, then Israel strikes and people like you get up and defend a terrorist organization…”
Rivera interrupted and gave her everything she deserved. First, he pointed out that the school where the kids were was a safe haven. Then he blasted her:
RIVERA: You should be ashamed of yourself for saying that to me of all people. There’s a Jewish star tattooed on my hand. I am a dyed in the wool Zionist. I would die for Israel. …When there are 1800 dead civilians and women and children are bleeding on television – and you are not moved by that?
No, Tantaros wasn’t. She sneered, “Whose fault is that?”
Rivera continued:
These Palestinian missiles are absolutely laughable in their military effect. Israel now is about to declare a unilateral cease fire. It could have declared it two weeks ago! …Israel is alone in the world and attitudes like yours will make it isolated more and more.
If you’d like to urge Tantaros to put her fanny where her mouth is and go fight the war she loves so much, you can tweet her at @AndreaTantaros.
Watch Rivera duke it out with his Outnumbered cohosts below.