Corporate television in the UK on Monday 16 October was a shameless display of apologists for Israeli war crimes in Gaza. From a host of breakfast television to the Israeli ambassador to the UK, there was repeated and inflammatory dismissal of Israel’s war crimes and attempted genocide against the Palestinian people.
However, this wasn’t going on without reaction – one organisation has now threatened criminal proceedings against the UK government and the Labour Party for doing similar.
Madeley: shamelessly invoking WWII
First, Good Morning Britain (GMB) host Richard Madeley stooped to new lows during a segment on the ongoing chaos in the Middle East. He posited over Israel’s genocide in Gaza that:
When they invaded Europe in 1944 and defeated the Nazis by going into Germany and in doing so… a lot of German civilians were killed. But nobody at the time made any excuses or apologies for that. They just saw that as a necessary evil. Is that a fair parallel?
Madeley: "When they invaded Europe in 1944 & defeated the Nazis by going into Germany & in doing so… lots of German civilians were killed. But nobody at the time made any excuses or apologies for that. They just saw that as a necessary evil. Is that a fair parrallel?" pic.twitter.com/cwup6ebJMa
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 16, 2023
Co-host Susanna Reid clearly saw the problem with this – as she immediately said that she thought we’d “moved on, haven’t we, from those times”. The guests didn’t seem to agree with Madeley’s comparison, either:
In which renowned ignoramus Richard Madeley compares Israel killing civilians in Gaza to the Allies in WWII killing Germans.
Fortunately, everyone on the panel simply ignore his stupidity.#r4today #GMB pic.twitter.com/e09he4kqIf
— I Am Incorrigible also on Bluesky, threads & masto (@ImIncorrigible) October 16, 2023
In case you needed to know what the problems were with Madeley’s comparison of Nazi Germany during WWII and Israel committing human rights atrocities in Gaza, people on X pointed them out.
This idiot's comparison is the worst till date.
Comparing Arabs with German Nazis? People who are fighting back against colonialism versus people who went to kill for colonizing and establish a pure race.Isn't this downplaying the heinous crimes conducted by the 3rd Reich? https://t.co/PYpnAZlhS5
— Maano's earlobes 🍒 (@apratim_basu) October 16, 2023
Madeley’s ignorance of the history of international law wasn’t lost on some people:
What a bozo! International law was established after WW2 you can’t find parallel with something that occurred when there was no standard. Bozo. https://t.co/qfpCr6pM9v
— 1RENZ (@RenzLifestyle) October 16, 2023
Ultimately, as one person pointed out – and as the Canary has documented – commentators and politicians in the West have been actively endorsing Israel’s attempted genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza:
'Killing children: a necessary evil' – is coming from the mouths of far too many grown adults. https://t.co/7R1QG0gqcj
— 🇵🇸 Claudia Boleyn MA🌹Sapphic🌹she/her (@ClaudiaBoleyn) October 16, 2023
So, with that in mind – enter the Israeli ambassador to the UK on Sky News to double down on genocide apologism.
Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely
Tzipi Hotovely is the right-wing Israeli ambassador to the UK. When Burley asked for her view on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Hotovely said:
There is no humanitarian crisis
Burley questioned this, and Hotovely doubled down. The host once again pressed Hotovely, saying Sky News had shown the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on the show. So, Hotovely deflected, saying:
Are you a mother… What would you think if your children would have been executed in front of your eyes? Would you expect your government to think about those Nazis committing those crimes and say ‘wait a second, first of all we need to protect the enemy, and then to protect my children’. Your children come as priority to your prime minister.
Hotovely’s response to Burley repeating that Sky News showed the humanitarian crisis was to tell her to “blame Hamas”:
Kay Burley: "Whats the view on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza this morning?"
The Israeli ambassador to the UK: "There is no humanitarian crisis…"
"There isn't?"
"There isn't" pic.twitter.com/mvLIHHtTST
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 16, 2023
It’s hard to know where to begin with what Hotovely said. X reacted furiously:
Utterly atrocious and racist comments from the Israeli Ambassador. She should be hauled into the FCDO for this. The dehumanisation of Palestinians by Israeli officials has to be called out. Mass atrocities are being carried out incl the mass starvation of 2.3 million Palestinians https://t.co/YahZ6X2D8n
— Chris Doyle (@Doylech) October 16, 2023
this is a disturbing interview. tzipi hotovely brimming with hatred for palestinians + a clear thirst for revenge. sickening to see motherhood invoked, sickening to see comparisons to nazism, sickening to see the outright denial of the genocide israel is enacting. twisted, evil… https://t.co/9wj6tEmo6W
— lauren corelli / loco (@corelliLAUREN) October 16, 2023
People pointed to her “shameless” questioning of whether Burley was a mother:
The Israeli government’s PR is so embarrassing.
First approach is to deny the obvious fact that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza (caused by an Israeli siege that was publicly announced).
Second approach is *shameless* emotional appeal, “Are you a mother?” https://t.co/hgDkkERzNF
— Yonah Lieberman 🔥 (@YonahLieberman) October 16, 2023
X users also felt that Burley gave Hotovely an easy ride:
What about Palestinian children? Do they not count? Do they not suffer? This woman is a monster. You should've called her out @KayBurley Compare this to the humanity of @hzomlot Shame on her, shame on Israel for its apartheid, its supremacist regime & its brutality to innocents https://t.co/vcrf1hL7vP
— Mrs Gee 💚🇵🇸 #Collective (@earthygirl011) October 16, 2023
Hotovely’s far-right, inflammatory, and manipulative comments are not a surprise. As the Canary previously reported, during a Newsnight interview on Wednesday 11 October she claimed:
40 bodies of babies that their heads were cut off… we’ve seen… the bodies of those babies and children, and actually this is evidence-based.
We now know there was no ‘evidence base’ to the claim – but Hotovely chose to claim it, anyway. This has been a running theme during Israel’s onslaught into Gaza – with politicians like Tory minister Grant Shapps, Labour leader Keir Starmer, and Labour front bencher Emily Thornberry all effectively laying cover for Israel to commit war crimes.
Complicity in Israel’s Gaza war crimes may lead to prosecution
However, the UK-based International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) announced on Saturday 14 October that it believed the UK government was complicit in Israeli war crimes due to its support – and that it would prosecute it if needed. Bear in mind, also, that the ICJP isn’t some ‘woke, lefty’ group. One of its leaders is the right-wing Tory MP Crispin Blunt.
Now, the ICJP has also issued a formal warning to the Labour Party over its support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, too:
🚨UPDATE🚨
ICJP has now issued the Labour Leadership with a notice of intention to prosecute any UK politician for their complicity in war crimes in Gaza.
The announcement comes after Saturday's notice to @RishiSunak of the UK government's complicity in Israeli war crimes. pic.twitter.com/UZgbMoM6za
— ICJP (@ICJPalestine) October 16, 2023
It specifically called out Starmer and Thornberry, as well as shadow foreign secretary David Lammy:
@Keir_Starmer, @EmilyThornberry and @DavidLammy have all been notified that any UK politician could be individually liable for their role in aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes based on their public statements of unequivocal support of Israel.
— ICJP (@ICJPalestine) October 16, 2023
Of course, the likelihood of the ICJP getting a successful prosecution is slim. However, they are shining a light on what Western politicians and the media are doing by fuelling war crimes via the spread of propaganda and disinformation.
You might think that would be enough for this despicable whitewashing campaign to cease. Clearly not, though – as broadcast television in the UK has shown.
Featured image via Good Morning Britain – YouTube and Sky News – YouTube
