Sunny Hostin tried to explain away comments made by Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar — which many believe are anti-Semitic — but co-host Meghan McCain was not having it.
WATCH:
Hostin defended Omar by claiming that she didn’t believe her comments had quite risen to the level of “anti-Semitism” because they focused on Israeli policy.
“We had Bari Weiss on as an expert on what is anti-semitic and what isn’t. I asked her is it okay to talk about Israel’s policies and not be called anti-semitic and she said yes,” Hostin explained. “She said where it crosses the line is when you say that Israel does not have the right to exist, that that is when it crosses the line. Ilhan Omar has never suggested that Israel does not have the right to exist.”
Hostin then tried to turn the conversation to President Donald Trump, arguing that Republicans don’t have the “moral high ground” to address Omar because they support President Donald Trump, who she said “traffics in bigotry.”
Sunny Hostin appears on ABC’s “The View,” 3/7/2019. Screen Shot/ABC
McCain wasn’t convinced, however, and after noting Omar’s previous comments — specifically with regard to Israel “hypnotizing the world” and her suggestion that Americans who supported Israel had dual allegiances — she got personal. (RELATED: Meghan McCain Turns To ‘The View’ Audience: ‘I Don’t Know If You’re Heckling Me’)
Referring to longtime family friend and former Independent Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, McCain said that the rise of anti-semitic sentiment greatly concerned her. (RELATED: ‘Dis Me. I’ve Been Around Awhile.’ Joe Lieberman Is Not Impressed With Ocasio-Cortez)
“I take the hate crimes raising in this country incredibly seriously, and I think what’s happening in Europe is really scary,” McCain said through tears. “And I’m sorry if I’m getting emotional. The idea that this is politicized — I’m really not — I was very nervous to talk about this on the show because I thought it would become politicized, and it shouldn’t be. On both sides, it should be called out.”
She concluded by bringing the conversation back to Omar, saying, “Just because I don’t technically have Jewish family that are related to me doesn’t mean that I don’t take this seriously and it is very dangerous — very dangerous — and we collectively, as Americans on both sides … what Ilhan Omar is saying is very scary to me and a lot of people, and I don’t think you have to be Jewish to recognize that.”