Bill Maher Compares Hamas To A 'Crazy Woman' That 'You Have To Slap'

Bill Maher, the host of HBO's political talk show "Real Time With Bill Maher," sent a tweet Thursday about the Palestinian militant group Hamas that compared them to a "crazy woman" that "you have to slap."

"Dealing w/ Hamas is like dealing w/ a crazy woman who's trying to kill u - u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her," Maher wrote.

Maher's tweet seemed to be a defense of an Israeli military operation launched Thursday in response to repeated Hamas rocket attacks. The tweet immediately provoked a backlash online, but as of this writing, Maher has not posted any clarification.

Business Insider reached out to HBO asking if Maher had any statement responding to critics and whether the network believed his comment was appropriate. HBO referred us to Maher's personal representatives, who did not immediately respond.

View Maher's tweet below.