Israel never has to condemn civilian killings: Palestinian envoy lashes out at BBC hypocrisy
“Perhaps this is about time we abandon this rhetoric... this framework, and we start giving people the real ugly truth sometimes,” said the Palestinian envoy.
Palestine's de-facto Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot called out the BBC's unequal treatment of Israeli and Palestinian representatives live on air in the wake of deadly attacks in Gaza and Israel.
During a recent talk show on the BBC, Zomlot pointed out that he was not invited for interviews when there were attacks against Israelis, but never to comment on the constant attacks against Palestinians.
His remarks came after the BBC presenter Lewis Vaughan Jones pressed the Palestinian diplomat to condemn Hamas' Saturday attack on Israel.
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"You just condemned Israel for killing civilians but you will not condemn Hamas for killing civilians," Jones said.
In reply, Zomlot said, "How many times have you interviewed Israeli officials, Lewis? Hundreds of times, Hundreds of times.
"How many times has Israel condemned war crimes live in front of your own cameras? Do you start by asking them to condemn themselves? Have you? You don't. I'll answer that question: you don't."
Zolomot continued, "You know why I refuse to answer that question [on not condemning Hamas]? Because I refuse the premise of it. Because at the very heart of it is misrepresentation of the whole thing. Because it's the Palestinians that are always expected to condemn themselves. As opposed to this business by the BBC and the mainstream media for 75 years.
"You bring me here [on the show] whenever there are Israelis who are killed.. Did you bring me here when many Palestinians in the West Bank, more than 200, [were killed in] the last few months.
"Do you invite me when there is such Israeli provocation in Jerusalem and elsewhere," the diplomat pressed on, adding that, "What Israel has seen – which we start by saying tragic – in the last 48 hours, the Palestinians see every day for the last 70…50 years."
Pointing out more of the oppressions by Israel on Palestinians, Zolomot said, "You know the situation in Gaza. You've described it. This is the biggest open air prison. Those people, 23 million, have been taken hostage by Israel for the last 16 years.
"So, I'm saying this just to say, Lewis: Perhaps this is about time we abandon this rhetoric, [which is] very dangerous, this framework, and we start giving people the real ugly truth sometimes," said the Palestinian envoy.
