CBS’s ’60 Minutes’ has ignited a firestorm after veteran host Lesley Stahl suggested Hamas terrorists might have starved hostages due to food shortages rather than cruelty. The shocking interview moment has conservatives and Jewish groups outraged over what many see as media sympathy for terrorists.
At a glance:
• Lesley Stahl asked former Hamas hostage Keith Siegel if his captors starved him intentionally or because they didn’t have enough food
• Siegel immediately corrected her, confirming terrorists deliberately starved him while eating in front of him
• Siegel was held captive for 484 days after being kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack
• Jewish journalists and pro-Israel accounts blasted Stahl’s question as sympathetic to terrorists
• CBS News has not commented on the growing controversy
Liberal Media Downplays Hamas Atrocities
Viewers were stunned when Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes fame questioned whether Hamas terrorists intentionally starved captives or simply lacked resources themselves, looking a hostage in his eyes and asking if, maybe, Hamas were victims too.
Disgusting.
Siegel, who endured brutal treatment during his 484-day captivity, firmly rejected Stahl’s premise. He described how his captors deliberately ate in front of him to intensify his suffering after his wife was released.
Jewish journalist Ari Hoffman compared Stahl’s question to asking about Nazi intentions during the Holocaust. He sarcastically tweeted, “She should ask the Nazis if they meant to starve the Jews in the Holocaust or didn’t have enough aid.”
Hostage Reveals Hamas Brutality
Keith Siegel and his wife were kidnapped from their home during Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. After his wife was released, Siegel reported that his treatment deteriorated dramatically.
“They became very mean and very cruel and violent, and I was beaten and starved,” Siegel told Stahl. The former hostage described horrific conditions, including being allowed to bathe only once monthly and witnessing sexual assaults on female captives.
The anti-hate group StopAntisemitism condemned Stahl’s questioning on social media. “Ridiculous moment on @60Minutes: Lesley Stahl asks hostage Keith Siegel if Hamas starved him because they had no food. He shuts her down.”
Another pro-Israel account, “Jews Fight Back,” blasted both Stahl and CBS. “Lesley Stahl looked a Jewish hostage in the face—after being starved, tortured, beaten, and dragged through hell—and asked if maybe Hamas didn’t mean to starve him.”
More Hostages Remain In Captivity
The controversial interview comes as negotiations continue for the remaining hostages still held by Hamas. Siegel was among approximately 250 people abducted during the October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.
CBS News has not responded to multiple media outlets requesting comment on the backlash. And they probably know their host sunk to a disgusting new low.
