In the wake of Israel’s brutal war against Palestinians, the liberal establishment has mostly provided full-throated cover for Israel’s action, defending, without hesitation, war crimes and the ensuing humanitarian crisis.
The support is fundamental to the establishment liberal core belief system; a belief rooted in a perverted form of American exceptionalism that prioritizes western dominance over marginalized groups.
For many progressives, Israel’s ruthless dominance over Palestinians has long been a subject of consternation and rage. But not all progressives are the same (see that senator from Pennsylvania). And let’s be fair, Sen. Bernie Sanders, while vocal about his distaste for the extreme far-right Israeli government and marginalization of Palestinians, has yet to formally call for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, pushing instead for conditioning aid to Israel.
Marc Lamont Hill, to his credit, recognized the sometimes tepid progressive support for Palestinians early on and has been among the leading voices of holding political figures accountable on the subject of Palestinian rights, among other important issues.
Hill is the rare journalist who has become a fixture of both progressive and corporate media. He helped revolutionize the live-streaming news industry early on with HuffPost Live before joining CNN, where he was summarily fired for expressing support for Palestinians by using the slogan “from the river to the sea.”
In 2021, Hill co-authored the book, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics, which explores how the rights of Palestinian haven't always been central to progressive causes.
Three years later, that book has become incredibly valuable in terms of understanding why Palestinian rights has so often been neglected by those who, in theory, are guided by social justice.
Hill, who has also held several academic roles at Temple University and Morehouse College, is the rare journalist who can speak confidently on a range of topics, such as mass incarceration, racial justice, war, Israel-Palestine, various geopolitical issues, and much more.
He’s so knowledgeable, in fact, that he’s become one of the most effective interrogators of the truth in the media.
Notably, his debates and interviews on his Al Jazeera show, “UpFront,” are now must-watch television. Importantly, Hill is so assertive that he rarely allows public officials or others with divergent views to obscure the truth during interviews—something that’s incredibly rare in today’s media environment. Come to think of it, Hill shares a common interview style with former Al Jazeera and MSNBC figure Mehdia Hasan, who has since been let go from the latter for what many believe to be his criticisms of Israel’s war in Gaza.
As for Hill, viewers seemingly follow him wherever he goes. And that includes his own YouTube show in which he airs debates and scrutinizes various political issues.
In a world filled with powerful figures obfuscating or outright lying without accountability, Hill has elevated himself to the upper echelon of journalists who refuse to let misrepresentation of facts go unchallenged.
And something tells us that he’s just getting started.
Image Source
Image Description: Two images of Marc Lamont Hill with his official logo.
Rashed Mian
