Radio host Howard Stern offered up another vociferous defense of Israel during Wednesday morning’s broadcast, just a day after he condemned Pink Floyd front man Roger Waters for backing economic boycotts of the Jewish state.
Stern, responding to media attention over his comments about Waters, called Israel a "necessity" and urged other supporters of the Jewish state to "stand up for what you believe and f*** those who can’t get with you."
Waters penned a letter to rocker Bon Jovi, criticizing him for performing in Israel. Waters accused Israel of being an apartheid state and lent his support to the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
"Don’t be so f***ing afraid," Stern said to those who silently support Israel. "You know what happens when you’re afraid … Stand up for what you believe and f*** those who can’t get with you."
"Don’t stand silently by when others will sit there and condemn and throw out words like apartheid and all that bullshit," Stern told his audience. "Fight the power. You hear me?"
Stern admitted that he got a flurry of supportive emails from fellow celebrities and other "prominent people," thanking him for his defense of Israel and fierce cut down of Waters.
"I am a supporter of Israel. I am a fan of Israel. I believe Israel is a necessity," Stern said. "It’s a place where people have hope because they had no where else to go."
"I receive many, many emails from prominent people thanking me for my comments," the veteran host added. "They say to me thank you for sticking up for Israel."
However, many of these individuals did not want to be named, leading Stern to question their silence.
"It’s odd to me that people who are prominent, businessmen, other entertainers, who feel similarly to me are very afraid to speak out for some reason," he said.
"If you feel Israel is a friend to the U.S. as I do, our only friend in the Middle East, the only ones we can actually count on if the real sh*t goes down, which it will one day," he continued. "If you believe that and you believe in what I say, and I don’t care if you’re a Jew or not … but if you believe that this is a country that certainly shouldn’t get sh*t from the Roger Waters’ of this world, from Pink Floyd, then speak out."
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) condemned Stern’s remarks on Wednesday, demanding that he apologize for his defense of Israel.
Listen to the full audio here: