Yes, it’s “Imagine” time again. Mainstream media talking heads and hacks have apparently been playing the John Lennon’s sweet and fatuous ode to nonsense over earbuds as they sleep, judging from the angle they repeatedly return to as they push anti-Israel propaganda on the public.

CNN’s Breanna Keilar had a typical “Think if the children!” exchange with Israeli spokeswoman Tal Heinrich yesterday.

Keilar (talking over and interrupting her guest as she Heinrich expressed regret that children in Gaza were being placed in harm’s way): “Tal, when you see those pictures coming out of Gaza, do you see why some people don’t have hope looking at those pictures?”

Heinrich: “Well, we are in the middle of a war that Israel did not start, and did not want.”

Keilar: “It is prosecuting it forcefully, and you see the pictures here.”

Heinrich: “When Hamas started this war — hope and peace and a better future for the region — that is the greatest enemy of terrorists. Once we eliminate these terrorists, we eliminate the rule. We hope that there will be other voices, pragmatic ones that want to work with us towards peace. This is what we want. We want to live in this region peacefully. That’s what Israelis have always wanted. But first, Hamas must be gone, and then we hope that the Palestinian society will de-radicalize. We can’t have — you know, what our troops are finding right now, on the ground, in certain neighborhoods in Gaza, pictures of children, women with guns, Hamas uniform tailored for children. And Hamas terrorists that we have arrested—”

Keilar (interrupting): “Does that make the children justifiable enemies to you? Is that what you’re saying? Does that make all of the children justifiable enemies to you? I mean, you’re raising the specter of them being used in military uniform.”

Heinrich: “This is not what I’m saying! I’m saying that a Hamas terrorist we are interrogating has admitted in the interrogation that Hamas are exploiting children, they’re using them to transport ammunition. That is outrageous! Where is UNICEF? No, of course not!”

What is going on in Gaza is called “war.” War is not good for anyone. War involves inflicting death, destruction and misery on an enemy until that enemy gives up. The objective in war is to end it as quickly as possible, and that is accomplished by doing exactly what Israel is doing to Gaza and Hamas, which started the war. Because Hamas, the government of Gaza, started the war, deliberately and ruthlessly with a heinous terrorist attack on civilians, families and children, any questions about the consequences Israel’s necessary, justified, and entirely predictable counter-attack should be asked of Hamas. Whatever happens to the people of Gaza, their children and their zoos as a result of the war Hamas started is completely and indisputably the fault of Hamas, and the citizens of Gaza who allowed a terrorist organization to be in control of their territory.

This shouldn’t be difficult to comprehend. Keilar’s interview with Heinrich featured a tone of voice, facial expressions and hostile witness cross-examination tactics that news show hosts typically reserve for unequivocal villains like David Duke, Louis Farrakhan or Republicans. If a newscaster doesn’t understand what war is, then a responsible broadcast news organization is obligated to keep that newscaster assigned to covering Taylor Swift concerts or cat shows. Get an adult to interview Israel spokespersons about the war.

“Do you see why some people don’t have hope looking at those pictures?” What kind of question is that? Hope for what? Israel is determined to make certain for all time that no more terror attacks, or attacks at all, come from Gaza. That means wiping out Hamas, which, as has been well established, regard children, like hospitals and the rest of Gaza’s population, as useful shields and propaganda tool. If the fanatic organization could ensure the destruction of Israel by sacrificing all of its children, it would.

Then the CNN host, acting as a Hamas agent, states that Israel is waging war “forcefully” as if that is unreasonable. Her objective, like the objective of so many of her colleagues, is to create public pressure for a truce, a ceasefire, or some other reduced response to an existential threat to Israel that will allow that threat to continue indefinitely. Realizing she is dealing with a journalist whose agenda is to vilify her country, Heinrich was forced to blather pablum, delivering the obligatory message that Israel “hopes” that once Hamas is eliminated, “Palestinian society will de-radicalize.” A competent journalist would have forced her guest to defend that fantasy; instead, Keilar jumped to “Think of the children!” That is a distraction from the reality of the war and a blatant appeal to emotion.

Keilar has plenty of company in this framing of the war. Obviously the CNN brass wants such distorted spin, or it wouldn’t tolerate it from Keilar or anyone else. She is one of the network’s most obvious progressive agents. The last time I examined one of her interviews, right around the time I decided that I couldn’t trust CNN and stopped watching it for news updates, was way back in 2015 when she allowed candidate Hillary Clinton to lie repeatedly without challenging her with the facts. Then I wrote,

[W]hat kind of interviewer is Keiler? All of the evidence discrediting Clinton’s lies and excuses are a matter of record: why didn’t she raise them on the spot? It’s her duty to do so, not to allow Clinton use her interview to misinform the public, but for CNN’s Keilar to use the interview to inform the public. Keiler should be fired for unprofessional conduct and incompetence. Since she was not, CNN must be judged complicit.

Eight years later, and that assessment is still accurate. Amusingly, Mediaite, which has approximately twice as many left-biased reporters as the other kind, cheered on Keilar with the story, “CNN’s Brianna Keilar Pulls No Punches When Questioning Israeli Spokeswoman: Are ‘Children Justifiable Enemies to You?’” Mediaite endorsed that unfair “gotcha!” question. Keilar pulled all her punches when she should have had Hillary Clinton on the ropes.

Ironically, we have seen that Hillary can explain the justification for Israel’s prosecution of the war quite effectively. It would be fun to see Keilar try the “Think of the children!” act on her.