NBC’s Raf Sanchez picked the worst possible time to break out the “extreme right” labeling as he reported from Israel on Saturday’s Today in the aftermath of the massive Hamas terrorist attacks and the possibility that the “extreme right” Israeli government may decide to invade Gaza to rescue the hostages there.
Host Laura Jarrett wondered, “Raf, we know this is all unfolding right now. It's obviously an active situation. But talk to us about the hostages. What are we talking about in terms of how many people and the plan to get them back?”
Sanchez’s immediate response wasn’t so bad, “The Israeli government, the Israeli people, the state of Israel puts an enormous value on getting its people back, whether they are alive or whether they are dead. And if there are live Israelis, soldiers, but especially if there are civilians inside of Gaza right now, there is almost no length that the Israeli government will not go to get them back.”
However, he then, for some inexplicable reason, decided to make things partisan, “And it may be that this Israeli government, this extreme right Israeli government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, feels it has no choice but to launch a major ground offensive inside of Gaza to rescue these Israeli hostages.”
If Israel “puts an enormous value on getting its people back,” then what does “extreme right” have to do with anything?
Sanchez then warned that “if it comes to that, if there is major fighting inside of those densely populated urban centers in Gaza City, in Khan Yunis then what is already a high death toll, likely to rise higher.”
Beyond Sanchez, the partisan labeling was a common thread throughout the media as pundits and hosts pondered Israel's next move.
MSNBC terrorist simp Ayman Mohyeldin decries Israel taking any retaliatory action against the Hamas terrorists who are slaughtering Israeli civilians:
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 7, 2023
"[Netanyahu's] more extreme far-right ministers are going to demand a price and that price is going to be the catalyst..." pic.twitter.com/1agBrYYYa7
On CNN, former State Department official Aaron David Miller is worried about what Israeli retaliation might look like and fears Biden's "emotional" support for Israel:
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) October 7, 2023
"What exactly do the Israelis hope to achieve?...Where does this go? That's the real problem." pic.twitter.com/aI7QSEbtmp
Here is a transcript for the October 7 show:
NBC Today
10/7/2023
8:06 AM ET
LAURA JARRETT: Raf, we know this is all unfolding right now. It's obviously an active situation. But talk to us about the hostages. What are we talking about in terms of how many people and the plan to get them back?
RAF SANCHEZ: Laura, it is not clear right now how many Israelis have been taken hostage by Hamas, but there is no more sensitive piece of information in Israel right now than how many Israelis are inside of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government, the Israeli people, the state of Israel puts an enormous value on getting its people back, whether they are alive or whether they are dead. And if there are live Israelis, soldiers, but especially if there are civilians inside of Gaza right now, there is almost no length that the Israeli government will not go to get them back.
And it may be that this Israeli government, this extreme right Israeli government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, feels it has no choice but to launch a major ground offensive inside of Gaza to rescue these Israeli hostages.
And if it comes to that, if there is major fighting inside of those densely populated urban centers in Gaza City, in Khan Yunis then what is already a high death toll, likely to rise higher.
Still, the official death toll inside of Israel, according to the Israeli emergency services, is at 22, but I can tell you, guys, everyone here, based on these harrowing videos we are seeing on social media, expects that that death toll is going to rise further over the course of the day, guys.
