A live television segment on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" erupted into a heated exchange this week between anchor Joe Scarborough and fellow panelist Donny Deutsch. The contentious debate, which unfolded Wednesday, centered on a controversial Haaretz report alleging that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received advance notice of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
"Do I look stupid to you? Look at me in my eyes. Donnie, do you think that I'm going to be distracted. We ask questions about 9/11. Are you unwilling to ask questions about Netanyahu?" Joe Scarborough, "Morning Joe" Anchor
The dispute began as Scarborough pressed Deutsch to directly address the Haaretz allegations, which claim that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of an impending large-scale Hamas strike approximately ten days before the massacre. Deutsch, however, repeatedly steered the conversation back to Hamas's undisputed culpability for the attack, expressing uncertainty about the specific claims against Netanyahu.
Frustration visibly mounted on air as Scarborough challenged Deutsch's reluctance to engage with the report. "Look at me in my eyes. Do you think that I’m going to be distracted by you saying what I’ve said a million times?" Scarborough questioned, reminding viewers of his consistent condemnations of Hamas as a terrorist organization. He then pivoted, asking pointedly, "Now, can we talk about Netanyahu, or do you just not want to talk about him?"
Deutsch maintained his position, stating he had never defended Netanyahu and reiterated, "I don’t know what went down, and we don’t know." This response did not satisfy Scarborough, who then drew a parallel to a significant national tragedy to underscore his point. "Does that not concern you?" he asked. "We ask questions about 9/11. Are you willing to ask questions about Netanyahu?" Deutsch affirmed his willingness to ask questions, stating, "I’m willing to answer questions. I’m willing to ask the questions."
The core of the on-air disagreement stems from a Haaretz report published Monday. This report, citing three unnamed senior foreign officials, asserted that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed made a 45-minute phone call to Prime Minister Netanyahu. During this alleged call, approximately ten days before October 7, bin Zayed reportedly warned Netanyahu that Hamas military chief Yahya Sinwar was mobilizing for a significant offensive, described as a "zilzal" (Arabic for "earthquake").
Prime Minister Netanyahu's office has vehemently denied the Haaretz report. An official statement branded the account an "absolute lie," asserting, "Prime Minister Netanyahu didn’t speak to the president of the UAE during the period in question and received no warning from him." Netanyahu personally addressed the controversy on Wednesday, stating that a thorough check of records by his office, Israel’s National Security Council, and his military secretary found no trace of any call with the UAE leader between early September and October 7, 2023. In response to the report, Netanyahu has instructed his attorneys to pursue defamation litigation against Haaretz and the reporters responsible for the story. Haaretz, for its part, has publicly affirmed its confidence in the accuracy of its reporting.
Emirati officials have adopted a more circumspect stance regarding the alleged phone call. While they have not directly confirmed or denied the specific warning, the UAE’s foreign ministry noted that communication channels between Emirati and Israeli leadership have remained active since diplomatic ties were established.
Following the broadcast, Scarborough moved to downplay the intensity of the on-air confrontation. Speaking to The Post, he characterized the exchange as a normal disagreement between two individuals who have been close friends for two decades. "Donny and I have been great friends for 20 years. We’re both strong supporters of Israel," Scarborough explained. "We just had a disagreement today on whether we should talk about the Haaretz report and talk about what Netanyahu’s responsibility was in it." Scarborough suggested that Deutsch’s hesitation might have stemmed from a concern that scrutinizing Netanyahu could inadvertently overshadow Hamas's primary role in the atrocity. He reiterated a shared conviction between the two men, stating, "We all have said for years that Hamas are terrorists, that they want to kill Jews, that they want to destroy the state of Israel, and that they are an evil force in the region." Scarborough dismissed any notion of a deeper falling-out, emphasizing that such candid and heated discussions are reserved for those with whom they share complete trust. "We’re great friends, and we’ve done that before, and I don’t think we’d talk that way with somebody that we weren’t so comfortable with," he added, noting their mutual passion for the issue. Beyond the on-air spat, Scarborough also used the opportunity to restate his long-held personal view on Netanyahu’s political future, telling The Post, "I don’t think Benjamin Netanyahu running Israel for another three, four, five years is in the country’s best interest."
