Dr. Phil discusses Trump, Israeli solidarity and anti-Semitism

Phil McGraw predicted US president-elect Donald Trump will show solidarity with Israel during his second term, despite a turbulent Middle East.

“I can tell you he understands the critical nature of supporting our allies. And I believe he understands the importance of friendship. I believe he understands the importance of allies and I don’t think there will be a gap in his understanding,” the TV personality said Thursday evening in Toronto while delivering a keynote speech at a Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center fundraiser.

McGraw was honored with an Allyship Award in 2024 for showing solidarity with Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. During an informal conversation, the talk show host criticized fellow Hollywood celebrities for not joining him in their speech against rising anti-Semitism amid the war between Israel and Hamas.

“I don’t know why there are people in Hollywood who are Jewish, who I’ve worked with, who I know well on speed dial and who have been activists for many different causes, but when it comes down to it absolutely right on the doorstep, you can’t find them with both hands. I don’t understand it,” McGraw said at the Spirit of Hope gala dinner in Toronto.

He added that many in Hollywood feared losing their jobs and therefore decided not to take a stand on anti-Semitism. And when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, McGraw argued that there was no moral equivalence between Hamas terrorists who targeted Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, and Palestinians killed during the Gaza War by unintended Israeli military bombing were to target civilians.

“I hate to see deaths, especially children and civilians. But these are additional deaths caused by a bomb,” the TV host said of Palestinians left dead or injured after becoming entangled in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

McGraw also reiterated his condemnation of pro-Palestinian activists who protested on American college campuses after the Israel-Gaza war broke out and stoked anti-Semitism. “The arrogance of these people is unbelievable. You couldn’t find critical thinking if you had two weeks, a flashlight and a map. Gays for Gaza. Walk across the Gaza border with it and see how far you get. Seriously,” he said during his informal conversation in Toronto.

McGraw remembered his recent speech during Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where he spoke about the bullying and silencing of Republican Party supporters, and compared it to the current silence around anti-Semitism among bystanders.

“All of us in America, all of us in the Western world, when we see this happening to our Jewish brothers and sisters, when we see the anti-Semitism, when we see the language happening, when we see the bullying, when we see the hate crimes “When we see our Israeli ally being bullied like this, and we are bystanders who don’t stand up and stand up… then we are just as guilty as the people committing the violence,” he told the crowd in Toronto.

It appears that since the Oct. 27 meeting, the TV psychologist has backed off any endorsement of Trump he may have given during a speech in New York City that focused on supporting free speech and rejecting cancel culture. turns back.