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 cancelled far-left presenter Mehdi Hasan's show as part of a wider shake-up of its weekend lineup. 

Hasan, who will remain with the network as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host, announced the change to his staff on Thursday, The Hill reported. 

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

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

The cancellation comes after Hasan's strong on air criticism of Israel provoked backlash online. 

Earlier this month Hasan clashed with Mark Regev, Senior Adviser to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him 'your government kills children'. 

The presenter was also facing pressure after homophobic and offensive comments, including likening gay people to 'pedophiles' and non-Muslims to 'animals', circulated online, Fox News reported. 

'We know that keeping the moral high ground is key. Once we lose the moral high ground, we are no different from the rest of the non-Muslims, from the rest of those human beings who live their lives as animals, bending any rule to fulfill any desire,' Hasan said in an unearthed clip from 2009.  

Hasan previously addressed the controversy when it resurfaced in 2019. 

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the journalist said 'Like a lot of journos (humans?) I've said things years ago that I now deeply regret. 

'Chief among them for me is, more than a decade ago, in my 20s, when I wasn't a public figure, I gave a bunch of speeches to students on Islam/extremism. And I said dumb offensive ranty stuff.

'Speaking without notes, & trying to be bombastic, I made stupid sweeping remarks about non-Muslims, especially atheists. 

'I cringe now when I rehear/reread those remarks. I made stupid offensive analogies to animals. Argh. I'm embarrassed to have to write about all this again.'

He added: 'Growing up in a conservative faith community, where you didn't interact with *actual* gay people, I ended up making insensitive remarks, that I've apologized for before.'

In a note 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 a multitude of historic events these past months, we have an opportunity to build on our accomplishments and keep the momentum going into 2024 and beyond,' Jones wrote in a memo seen by Fox News. 

'Hasan will remain at the network, bringing his much-needed insight and expertise to MSNBC viewers as a Political Analyst and fill-in host,' Jones added.

DailyMail.com has approached MSNBC and Hasan for comment.  

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

The outlet's viewer figures were down 24 percent overall for the four days between October 7 and 10 which saw the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas terrorists.

By comparison the shocking events saw a leap in Fox News's audience, up 42 percent, and at CNN, which saw a 17 percent rise in viewers.

MSNBC has come under fire for its coverage of the atrocities in Israel with an Israeli mother whose two sons were take hostage by Hamas exploding at Andrea Mitchell when asked how she feels about Israel's counterstrikes in Gaza.

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

'I can't be sympathetic anymore. I can't be sympathetic to animal human beings — well, they're not really human beings — who came into my house, broke everything,' said Gomeh.

'Stole everything, took my children from their bedrooms and took them to the Gaza Strip.'