MSNBC cancels Mehdi Hasan’s show in major shakeup of its weekend lineup: Far-left host has criticized Israel’s war on Hamas and once compared non-Muslims to ‘animals’ and homosexuals to ‘pedophiles’

MSNBC has canceled far-left host Mehdi Hasan's show as part of a broader shake-up of its weekend lineup.

Hasan, who remains with the network as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host, announced the change to his staff on Thursday: De Heuvel reports this.

The Sunday evening slot will be replaced by a second hour of a show hosted by Ayman Mohyeldin. Hasan also lost his show on the Peacock streaming service.

Hasan was hired by the network to host the Sunday night show in 2021 and became one of the network's most outspoken liberal critics.

The cancellation comes after Hasan's strong criticism of Israel sparked backlash online.

In 2019, Hasan addressed previous controversial comments he had made

Earlier this month, Hasan clashed with Mark Regev, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him that “your government is killing children.”

The presenter also faced pressure after homophobic and offensive comments, including comparing gays to 'paedophiles' and non-Muslims to 'animals', circulated online. Fox News reports this.

'We know that maintaining moral values ​​is crucial. Once we lose the moral high ground, we will no longer be any different from the rest of the non-Muslims, from the rest of those people who live their lives like animals and bend every rule to fulfill every desire,” Hasan said in an unearthed excerpt . from 2009.

Hasan previously addressed the controversy when it resurfaced in 2019.

On X, formerly Twitter, the journalist said: 'Like many journalists (people?) I said things years ago that I now deeply regret.

'The most important of these for me is that more than ten years ago, when I was not yet a public figure, I gave a number of speeches to students about Islam/extremism. And I said stupid, offensive things.

'Speaking without notes, and in an attempt to be bombastic, I made stupid, sweeping comments about non-Muslims, especially atheists.

'I cringe now when I repeat/re-read those comments. I made stupid, offensive animal analogies. Argh. I'm ashamed to have to write about this again.'

He added: “Growing up in a conservative religious community, where you didn't have contact with *real* gay people, I ended up making insensitive comments, for which I have previously apologized.”

Hasan was hired by the network to host the Sunday night show in 2021 and became one of the network's most outspoken liberal critics

In a stunning conversation with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell (left), Israeli mother Renana Gomeh (right), whose two sons, ages 12 and 16, were kidnapped from their bed by Hamas terrorists, was visibly irritated when asked how she felt about Israel's counterattacks on Gaza.

In a letter to staff Thursday, MSNBC President Rashida Jones said the changes were made “to better position ourselves as we head into the presidential election.”

“As we emerge from many historic events over the past few months, we have an opportunity to build on our achievements and maintain momentum into 2024 and beyond,” Jones wrote in a memo seen by Fox News .

“Hasan will remain with the network and bring his much-needed insight and expertise to MSNBC viewers as a political analyst and fill-in,” Jones added.

DailyMail.com has reached out to MSNBC and Hasan for comment.

MSNBC lost 33 percent of its primetime viewers during its coverage of Israel's Hamas war.

The channel's ratings dropped a total of 24 percent during the four days between October 7 and 10, when the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists broke out.

By comparison, the shocking events spurred a jump in viewership at Fox News, which rose 42 percent, and at CNN, where viewership rose 17 percent.

MSNBC has come under fire for its coverage of atrocities in Israel featuring an Israeli mother whose two sons were held hostage by Hamas who exploded on Andrea Mitchell when asked how she feels about Israel's counterattacks in Gaza.

Renana Gomeh, whose two sons, ages 12 and 16, were kidnapped by Hamas, became visibly irritated when Mitchell asked her feelings about the attacks in Gaza.

'I can't be sympathetic anymore. “I can't sympathize with animal people – well, they're not really human beings – who came into my house and destroyed everything,” Gomeh said.

'Everything stolen, my children taken from their bedrooms and taken to the Gaza Strip.'