Ben Carson repeatedly mispronounces 'Hamas' while blasting Obama's understanding of the Middle East

Ben Carson speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition's 2016 forum.
(Image credit: CNN Politics/Vine)

It's been a bit of a weird day for anyone attending the Republican Jewish Coalition's 2016 forum in Washington, D.C. First, Donald Trump tried to win over the audience by cracking borderline anti-Semitic jokes. And that might not have even been the biggest gaffe of the day: Following Trump's uncomfortable speech, Ben Carson mispronounced the name of the militant Palestinian group Hamas multiple times — while criticizing President Obama's understanding of the Middle East.

It hasn't exactly gone unnoticed, either:

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Just so it's clear: "Hummus" is a tasty food dip made from chickpeas. "Hamas" is pronounced "ham-mahs" — listen here.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.