LOS ANGELES  (VINnews) – Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher delivered a sharp rebuke of what he described as rampant antisemitism masked as criticism of Israel, highlighting global double standards and inconsistencies in public outrage during a “New Rule” segment on his show “Real Time.”

In the monologue, which aired Friday night near the 78th anniversary of Israel’s founding on May 14, Maher declared that everyone should wish the Jewish state a happy birthday or admit they are antisemitic. He argued that much of the intense focus on Israel stems not from legitimate policy critique but from deeper prejudice.

“Enough with hiding behind Israel or Zionism or Netanyahu,” Maher said. “If you think as so many do that Israel is a colonizer, an apartheid state committing genocide — and by the way, if your ‘brats’ had to spend a week anywhere in the Middle East other than Israel, you would understand what liberalism is not.”

Maher pointed to what he called a “frothing anxiousness for the literal extermination of this one group” and questioned the silence from Democrats and the left. He contrasted the obsessive scrutiny of Israel with far worse human rights situations elsewhere.

“No Jews, no news,” Maher stated, drawing an uncomfortable laugh from the audience. “But China, Russia, the Sudan, Iran, Myanmar, Haiti, the Congo, North Korea — all way worse. And that’s how you know it’s antisemitism. It’s the inconsistency.”

The host criticized campus protests, slogans like those from “Queers for Palestine,” and what he sees as selective outrage that ignores Jewish history and the necessity of a Jewish state in the face of persistent hatred. He noted that antisemitism has surged globally since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

Maher, long a critic of political correctness on both sides, directed much of his ire at Democrats, warning that indulging “woke idiots” and TikTok-influenced views on Israel risks further eroding principles of liberalism. He challenged the party: “Democrats, where are you?” on condemning rhetoric that would be unacceptable toward any other minority.