MSNBC called Robertson and Giuliani “both strong supporters of Israel,” but omitted past relevant statements by Robertson

Written by Jeremy Holden

Published

Reporting on Pat Robertson's endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, MSNBC anchor Peter Alexander asserted, “Giuliani and Robertson: both prostate cancer survivors, both strong supporters of Israel.” MSNBC campaign reporter Matthew Berger stated, “They have traveled to Israel together.” And NBC News political director Chuck Todd said that “to a lot of evangelicals, the war against Islamic fundamentalism, protecting Israel is actually a bigger issue than some of these other issues.” But at no point in discussing Robertson and Israel did an MSNBC news anchor or Todd note Robertson's past controversial comments regarding former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination.


During the 3 p.m. ET November 7 edition of MSNBC Live, while reporting that Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition and host of the Christian Broadcasting Network's 700 Club, had endorsed Rudy Giuliani (R) for president, anchor Peter Alexander asserted, “I was going through similarities between these guys, Giuliani and Robertson: both prostate cancer survivors, both strong supporters of Israel.” Neither Alexander nor his guest, NBC News political director Chuck Todd, pointed out that Robertson, on the January 5, 2006, edition of The 700 Club, suggested that then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was the result of Sharon's policy, which Robertson claimed was “dividing God's land,” as Media Matters for America documented. Robertson went on to say: “I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU [European Union], the United Nations, or United States of America.” Robertson further said the 1995 assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was “the same thing.” Robertson reportedly issued a subsequent apology to Sharon's son.

Robertson and Giuliani's support for Israel was discussed frequently in MSNBC's reporting of the endorsement. In addition to Alexander's report, during the 2 p.m. edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Monica Novotny asked MSNBC campaign reporter Matthew Berger, "[W]hat more can you tell us about the nature of the personal relationship between Pat Robertson and Rudy Giuliani?" Berger went on to assert that “they know each other. I'm not sure how well they know each other. They have traveled to Israel together.” Further, during the 4 p.m. edition of MSNBC Live, Todd asserted, “So, you know, yes, abortion, yes, gay rights -- they are on the opposite side of things -- but to a lot of evangelicals, the war against Islamic fundamentalism, protecting Israel is actually a bigger issue than some of these other issues.”

At no point in discussing Robertson and Israel did an MSNBC news anchor or Todd note Robertson's past comments regarding Sharon's stroke and Rabin's assassination.

From the November 7 edition of the 2 p.m. ET MSNBC Live:

NOVOTNY: Matt, what more can you tell us about the nature of the personal relationship between Pat Robertson and Rudy Giuliani?

BERGER: Well, they know each other. I'm not sure how well they know each other. They have traveled to Israel together. But Robertson has for several years really said good things about Giuliani's term as mayor and said that Giuliani would make a good president. So there is something to the support that Robertson has been giving him for a couple years now.

NOVOTNY: All right, Matt Berger. Thanks so much.

BERGER: Thank you.

From the November 7 edition of the 3 p.m. ET MSNBC Live:

ALEXANDER: Chuck Todd is NBC News political director. Chuck, nice to see you. Thanks.

TODD: Nice to see you, Peter.

ALEXANDER: So I was going through some of the similarities between these guys, Giuliani and Robertson: both prostate cancer survivors, both strong supporters of Israel. So I guess, though, they would seem like there are a lot of obvious differences, too, though. What's your reaction to this endorsement?

TODD: Well, it's interesting, you know the cliche, politics makes strange bedfellows. I mean, now I think we have a new definition with Giuliani and Robertson. But I do think what a lot of folks have been missing throughout this campaign and sort of trying to explain, why is Giuliani still resilient. Why is he still the national front-runner? Well on the issue of Islamic fundamentalism and whether you believe that this is basically a religious war of sorts against Islamic fundamentalism, Giuliani is on the side of social conservatives.

From the November 7 edition of the 4 p.m. ET MSNBC Live:

TAMRON HALL (anchor): So how do Pat Robertson and his followers reconcile this decision today in that many people might see this as hypocrisy.

TODD: Well, look, I think the one misconception about Giuliani's support in the social conservative movement has been on the issue of the war and on the issue, sort of this post-9/11 focus by some conservatives that we are in a religious war with Islamic fundamentalism. There is a part of the party that believes that. Giuliani is a part of that party. He has -- so on that issue, Giuliani and Robertson, there's no gap there. They very much are in agreement. So, you know, yes, abortion, yes, gay rights -- they are on the opposite side of things -- but to a lot of evangelicals, the war against Islamic fundamentalism, protecting Israel is actually a bigger issue than some of these other issues because, as Pat Robertson pointed out, they got what they want among Supreme Court justices. Would they like more? Yes. But they are actually winning on that front. So the thing that they're most worried about is the war. And the war is actually a bigger concern and Giuliani actually is closer to them than the other candidates.