Rachel Maddow Screamed at During Event: 'Warmonger!'

A recent public appearance featuring political commentator and news host Rachel Maddow was interrupted multiple times by hecklers voicing their disdain against the conflict in the Middle East.

The warfare escalated on Tuesday as a bomb reportedly hit the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Hamas, along with nongovernmental organizations and multiple Arab and Muslim nations, blamed Israel for the attack. Israel has claimed that Islamic Jihad conducted a failed rocket strike that killed some 500 Palestinians.

Prior to the bombing, Israeli strikes following Hamas' October 7 attack on the country killed at least 2,778 people and wounded 9,700 more in Gaza—including a reported two-thirds of victims who were children, the Associated Press reported, citing the Gaza Health Ministry. Authorities said approximately 1,200 people in Gaza are believed to be buried under rubble, some alive and some dead.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel as of Wednesday, according to the AP.

Maddow's sit-down with actor Ben Stiller occurred prior to the most recent hospital incident. The pair spoke on Tuesday at the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center in New York City, where they discussed the rise of far-right authoritarianism since World War II and how the current generation can learn from lessons in history.

The nearly 180-year-old temple is considered one of the oldest synagogues in the entire world. The longtime MSNBC host's appearance coincided with the release of her new book, Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism.

"You're a warmonger," yelled one male attendee in the crowd to Maddow in a video published on X, formerly Twitter.

The heckler, self-identified on X as Jose Vega, said that he didn't care about Maddow's "boring book" and that she was getting the situation "wrong yet again" like the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

He also inquired as to why other nations are calling for peace in Israel and Palestine, but Maddow and some United States officials are not.

"All of you are just straight warmongers," Vega said. "Look at what they do to free speech. There's an ethnic cleansing in Gaza, and all you do is tell lies about it. You and the rest of the media are warmongers. Every single one of you are warmongers."

One audience member can be heard saying "bye-bye" and waving to the individual.

He received jeers from attendees and continued to speak while being physically escorted out of the auditorium. Applause filled the room after he left while Maddow never acknowledged the man's statements and continued reading passages from her book.

"I was dragged on the ground for speaking the truth about her being a warmonger and the truth about ethnic cleansing in Gaza by the Israelis," Vega wrote on X. "And how's she's getting it wrong, just like 2016."

Newsweek reached out to Vega via social media for comment.

Kerry Swift was in attendance along with her daughter, seated behind and to the side of Vega and his companion. Although the audience was quiet during the outburst, Swift told Newsweek it was still difficult to decipher what exactly was being shouted.

Maddow had suggested that one individual be allowed to say his piece, Swift added.

"But it wasn't open mic night," Swift said. "We had all gathered to hear Rachael talk about her new book, where she writes about the rise of authoritarianism.... This was a secular event. I myself am Catholic, but it was held in a sacred space, which these protesters clearly did not respect, nor were they there to listen.

"I strongly suspect their incoherent disruptions were more about garnering attention on social media in order to promote a podcast than any real desire to promote peace and better our world," she said.

Another audience member later spoke up as Stiller was speaking, asking Maddow: "Rachel, would you consider Benjamin Netanyahu an authoritarian foreign leader? Can you please answer that? Do you consider Benjamin Netanyahu a dangerous, authoritarian foreign leader? Will you answer that?

"Will you stand up for the Muslim anchors at MSNBC who have been taken off the air? Will you speak for them? Will you speak up for them? What do you call a country that bombs people in a hospital—is that fascism? Do you only see fascism when it's wearing a red hat?"

That heckler was also booed. In a video posted on X, attendees can audibly be heard telling the man to "sit down" and "shut up."

"We're not here to talk to you," said one attendee to the heckler. Stiller and Maddow again sat silent during the ordeal.

The reference to Muslim MSNBC anchors followed claims that the network purposefully kept Muslim anchors Mehdi Hasan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Ali Velshi off the air and from covering the Middle East war.

MSNBC and NBC News have denied the claims.

President Joe Biden is meeting with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing conflict. The U.S. president is expected to ask the prime minister "tough questions" during the visit, according to White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby.

Newsweek reached out via email to MSNBC, the Streicker Center and Temple Emanu-El for comment.

Update 10/20/23, 8:43 a.m. ET: This story was updated with a comment from Kerry Swift.