Comedian Roseanne Barr has accused President Joe Biden of funding Hamas amidst its war with Israel.
She took aim at the president after he tweeted about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began on October 7 when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza.
As of Wednesday, at least 13,000 people had been killed in Gaza, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities there. At least 1,200 people died in Israel, according to the AP. There has been an agreed cease-fire between Hamas and Israel since Friday, with Hamas releasing some of the 200 people taken hostage on October 7 and Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners.
Biden tweeted on Tuesday: “Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace. To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek. We can’t do that.”
Barr replied to the president’s post on X, formerly Twitter on Wednesday: “They fear nothing more than Jews living. Maybe you should stop giving them billions of dollars? Just a thought.”
Rachel Luna/Getty Images North America
It is estimated much of Hamas’ funding comes from taxes on businesses, other countries such as Iran and Qatar or charities, Reuters reported. On the other hand, Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid, getting $3.8 billion annually.
President Biden recently requested Congress release an additional $14 billion in aid for Israel. More than $100 million was provided in humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Barr, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, who is thought to be Biden’s likely opponent in the 2024 presidential election, has not held back when it comes to her thoughts about the Israel-Hamas war.
“Praying for Israel. Being attacked by Iran after we gave them billions is exactly what we knew would happen and what I feared most when I called out the Obama/Jarrett foreign ‘plan.’ Make no mistake—This has been underway for years and this is not Biden,” she wrote on X shortly after Hamas’ original attack.
In 2018, Barr was fired from a reboot of her own sitcom, Roseanne, after posting online what was described as racist remarks about former White House adviser to President Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, who is Black.
Following a string of controversial comments, ABC killed off her character and brought the show back as The Connors. Barr said at the time that she would not have published her post if she had known Jarrett was Black and that she would have been prepared to apologize on air.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.