The Hamas atrocities film, produced by IDF spokesperson using footage filmed by terrorists documenting the horrific events in southern Israeli communities on October 7, was screened for popular American television host Phil McGraw, known by his nickname Dr. Phil. After watching the movie, Dr. Phil posted a 6-minute video to his X account, sharing it with his 1.4 million followers, in which he describes the horrors he witnessed while sharply criticizing the prevalent antisemitism in universities in the United States.
Read more:
"I am relieved that Liz Magill resigned as President of the University of Pennsylvania," he wrote. " This week, I viewed a highly restricted IDF video of the Oct 7 Hamas massacre. I was sickened by video images I can never 'unsee' and appalled by university presidents, like Liz Magill, who are OK with calls for Jewish genocide on their campuses."
"If Hamas' behavior is not a red line, it means you have no red line," Dr. Phil told his followers. At the end of the video, he lit a menorah with orange candles as a gesture of solidarity and a call for the swift release of the young copper-haired children of the Bibas family, Kfir and Ariel, who were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip and have yet to be returned, with Hamas claiming they're no longer alive, though these claims have yet to be substantiated.
For years, Dr. Phil has hosted a successful daytime talk-show program, created by him and legendary talk-show star Oprah Winfrey. The show, "Dr. Phil," aired in September 2002 and has had millions of viewers and followers in the United States and around the world. The program's team approached the Israeli consulate in Houston and arranged for the screening at McGraw's Texas residence within a few hours, in collaboration with the Israeli Embassy in Washington and the military attaché. An IDF officer who was in the area as part of his studies joined them and screened the full movie.
Before the screening, there was a Zoom briefing by Israel's consul general in Houston, Livia Link, to explain and provide background for the footage in the movie.
"I particularly emphasized the issue of trauma and psychological coping," Link recounted. "I dedicated time to the subject of sexual violence against women and the use of rape as a weapon. Dr. Phil listened attentively and emphasized that he fully supports Israel and expressed a clear position on the matter."
At the end of October, McGraw released a video titled "A Message from Dr. Phil about Israel, Hamas and our Moral Compass," in which he clarified that he stands by Israel, condemns Hamas' murderous terrorist attack, and strongly criticizes leading universities in the United States for allowing student support for the terrorist organization on campuses instead of "educating them and providing them with critical thinking tools."