Jake Tapper Shocked When Israeli Official Blames CNN Producer’s Family Killed in Israeli Bombing: ‘You Can’t Blame Them’
CNN anchor Jake Tapper was visibly disgusted after Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, victim-blamed nine members of a CNN producer’s family who were killed during Israel’s bombing in Gaza.
During an appearance on CNN’s The Lead, Regev told Tapper, “When this is over, I’m sure you’ll see an explosion of pent-up rage by the people of Gaza against Hamas for everything that they have brought upon the Gazans.”
Tapper replied:
That might be wishful thinking, Mark. There are a lot of innocent people being killed by bombs that Israel is raining down upon Gaza, and even if, as I know the IDF believes that Israel has killed 5,000 members of Hamas, that’s thousands of innocent people, including women and children, babies, that Israel has killed. Even if it’s an accident, even if it’s collateral damage, it’s a lot of innocent lives that have been killed by Israel.
Regen claimed, “So, you are correct that we don’t want to see a single innocent civilian caught up in the crossfire between the IDF and the Hamas terrorists. We’re making a maximum effort. I mean, we’ve been leafletting and urging people to leave areas of combat from day one, and the truth is most Gazans did exit areas of combat, and wisely so.”
He continued:
I am convinced though every single civilian death, and especially children, is a tragedy and we don’t want to see it, in comparative numbers– if you compare Israel to perfection, of course we’ll fall short, but if you compare Israel to other Western armies who have been fighting terrorists in built up urban areas, I think Israel will not come out badly in the comparison. On the contrary, I think it will be seen that the IDF really has done everything that is humanly possible to try to safeguard human civilians.
Tapper shot back, “It’s very hard to believe that, especially on a day when one of our producers lost nine members of his family. Nine members of his family who are not members of Hamas, not members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not members of any group. Just nine people just trying to live their lives.”
Regev proceeded to blame the victims for their own deaths:
First of all, I extend my sorrow to him and my sympathies, but if I saw your report correctly – and please correct me if I say something wrong – that happened in northern Gaza, in Gaza City, where a month ago we already asked all the civilians to leave, and most of them did. There was like one million, 200 thousand people there, there was only a couple of tens of thousands left. And one has to ask, yes? They had ample opportunity to leave. I don’t know what happened. I don’t have the specific circumstances. I know there’s deadly combat going on now in the north still between the IDF and Hamas terrorists, yes? And we don’t want to see anyone caught up in the crossfire. But why didn’t they heed the advice and leave the area?
“You can’t blame them. You can’t blame them,” protested Tapper.” There’s fighting in the south now! I’ve been asking this since October 7th. Where are these people supposed to go?”
It was revealed on Sunday that nine members of CNN producer Ibrahim Dahman’s family had been killed in Gaza after Israeli forces bombed the home of Dahman’s aunt.
Watch above via CNN.
