On the Friday edition of his show “Real Time,” television host Bill Maher defended United States President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Real Clear Politics reported on Saturday.

The comedian’s defense of Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was out of character for Maher, who has long been an outspoken critic of the President and his administration.

The comedian began a discussion about Jerusalem saying, “I hate to agree with Donald Trump, but it doesn’t happen often, but I do. I don’t know why Israel – it has been their capital since 1949, it is where their government is. They’ve won all the wars thrown against them. I don’t understand why they don’t get to have their capital where they want.”

Michelle Goldberg, a columnist for The New York Times and a guest on the show, disagreed with Maher, asking, “Really, you don’t understand that?” She added, “First of all, when you win a war you don’t get to take the other side’s land.”

Maher replied, “Actually, you do,” and argued that “Especially because they were attacked. I mean the country was divided, which they were OK with. They were attacked more than once and they took land in those wars that they won and there has been peace offers on the table ever since to give part of that land back.”

Later in the discussion the host observed that the Palestinians were the hindrance to peace in the conflict and asked why Israel is regularly expected to make concessions. “The essential thing that is making the two-state solution impossible is that one party is perpetually hostile, a coiled snake,” the comedian stated.

He also pointed out that Israel has given back land, including the Gaza Strip, to give peace a chance. “Israel gave back Gaza and what was the result? Did they use the funds to build schools and hospitals? No. They used them to build tunnels to get weapons and they invited Hamas in to shell Israel across the border,” Maher said.

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