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Jewish CNN Anchor Dana Bash Confronted by Angry Anti-Israel Protesters, Accused of Taking ‘Zionist’ Money
Illustrative: Pro-Hamas protesters outside the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Photo: Ron Sachs via Reuters Connect
Jewish CNN anchor Dana Bash was confronted by angry anti-Israel protesters during a book event at the popular Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC.
The pair of anti-Israel demonstrators interrupted Bash and hurled a series of unsubstantiated and, in some cases, seemingly antisemitic accusations at her, lambasting the journalist for being “complicit in genocide” and being paid “millions from Zionists.”
“After World War II, every single journalist that was complicit in their war crimes was charged,” a protester wearing a surgical mask yelled at Bash.
“You belong behind bars,” the protester continued. “We know who you are. We know what you’re saying.”
The agitator then tore into Bash for reporting on the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a “war,” insisting that Israel’s military operations are equivalent to a “genocide.”
“It is not a war. It has never been a war. It is ethnic cleansing. It is genocide. There are children being bombed, bombed, bombed, bombed,” the protester said.
“You are complicit in the genocide. Do you understand that five days ago when you tweeted about the hostages [kidnapped and murdered by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas], that there are over 10,000 political prisoners in Israeli death camps? They are concentration camps for Palestinians, and you are complicit in all of those deaths,” the activist continued.
The protester then accused Bash of facilitating the death of Palestinians in Gaza by “telling lies on public air.”
“Every time she lies, a neighborhood in Gaza dies. She is killing people. You know you are. Look me in the eye!” the protester screamed.
“Take your mask off,” Bash replied, calmly.
“You are a killer! Bloody Bash! Bloody Bash!” the protester yelled as bookstore security escorted her off the premises.
Another protester then confronted Bash, accusing her of “not reporting” on the deaths in Gaza in order to collect huge sums of money from “Zionists.” The agitator also accused Bash of accepting “Zionist” money to “spew lies about the Palestinian people.”
“You call yourself a journalist. Report the truth. But instead, you want millions from Zionists. You want millions from AIPAC,” she said, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “You’re taking millions, and you’re living in that house all alone, that multi-million dollar house.”
“You lie about people who have been bombed in hospitals. You lie about the students and the encampments. They are just trying to exercise their free speech to help their family and friends back home,” the protester continued.
Video of the confrontation circulated on social media. Bash was at the bookstore promoting her new history book, America’s Deadliest Election, alongside journalist Kara Swisher.
BREAKING: CNN’s Dana Bash had her event, America’s Deadliest Election, at DC Bookstore, Politics and Prose, interrupted multiple times by pro-Palestine protesters who accused her of being complicit in genocide.
Bash’s response: “Take off your mask.” pic.twitter.com/mSPk4MFAbK
— Stu (@thestustustudio) September 6, 2024
Numerous figures in the Jewish community immediately came to Bash’s defense.
Fellow CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who is also Jewish, called the targeting of Bash an example of “antisemitism.”
“These protesters target Dana at her home and this event because she’s Jewish,” he posted on X/Twitter. “There is nothing about her coverage of the Israel-Hamas war that is different from most other news coverage, covering both Jewish/Israeli and Palestinian pain. This harassment is antisemitism.”
Tapper himself faced a deluge of antisemitic criticism from anti-Israel social media personalities.
“Lot of this today…From the Left AND the Right! Horseshoe theory,” Tapper wrote in response to several posts attacking him for being Jewish and a Zionist.
US lawmakers even commented on the targeting of Bash and Tapper.
“Pro-Hamas agitators are trying to bully college students, elected officials, and now even the press into silence. Good on Dana for standing up to them,” said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
The post Jewish CNN Anchor Dana Bash Confronted by Angry Anti-Israel Protesters, Accused of Taking ‘Zionist’ Money first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.