Sky News issued an apology on Friday after one of its hosts compared the idea of voluntary migration by Gazans to the treatment of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
The outrageous comparison came as Sky News anchor Belle Donati interviewed MK Danny Danon (Likud) following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
In the interview, Donati brought up an article which Danon published in the Wall Street Journal in November, in which he brought up the idea that countries around the world would accept limited numbers of Gazan families who have expressed a desire to relocate.
“You’ve called for a voluntary migration of Palestinians from Gaza. In November you co-authored a piece in the Wall Street Journal. You suggested the ethnic cleansing of some of Gaza’s population to Western countries that would accept the refugees,” Donati claimed.
“The exact quote from that article: ‘One idea is for countries around the world to accept limited numbers of Gazan families who have expressed a desire to relocate.’ Do you stand by those comments?”
Danon blasted Donati’s assertion that he was suggesting the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and said, “I will not allow it. Ethnic cleansing, that’s a word you used. If you read my article, I spoke about voluntary immigration.”
“Let me remind you. You spoke about ethnic cleansing, I spoke about voluntary immigration. I think anyone in the world who voluntarily wants to move to another country should be eligible to do that,” he added.
Donati then said, “The sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust, I imagine, is not voluntary relocation.”
Danon replied, “Shame on you for that comparison. That is a shameful antisemitic equation. I will not allow you to speak about the Holocaust and compare [it] to what’s happening today. This is pure antisemitism what you just said, comparing the Holocaust to what’s happening today in Gaza.”
Later in the day, Sky News issued an apology over Donati’s comments.
“In an interview earlier today with Israeli politician Danny Danon a Sky News presenter made a comparison between Mr. Danon’s comments on Israel’s war with Hamas and the treatment of Jewish people in the Holocaust. Sky News recognizes the complete inappropriateness of this comparison and the offensive nature of those comments,” the broadcaster said.
“Sky News would like to apologize unreservedly for the comparison and to Mr. Danon personally for making the comparison,” it added.
In November, Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy was asked by Sky News presenter Kay Burley whether Israel agreeing to free 150 security prisoners in exchange for 50 hostages held by Hamas showed that Israel sees Hamas lives as worth less than Israeli lives.
Levy’s reaction, in which he was seen raising his eyebrows in astonishment over the question, went viral.
Burley later provided the following explanation for the ridiculous question in a post on X: "We often put one side of an argument to a guest so they can offer a counterclaim. Yesterday, I raised a controversial view from an earlier guest to allow another to respond. Each morning we’re dedicated to presenting fairly the news of this war."
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