Sky News Issues On-Air Apology Over ‘Complete Inappropriateness’ Of Host Comparing Israel’s War In Gaza to the Holocaust

Sky News landed in hot water late last week when an on-air presenter compared the Israeli operations against Hamas in Gaza and the displacement of Gazans to the Holocaust.

Sky host Belle Donati interviewed Likud MK Danny Danon on Friday and slammed the Israeli military operation in Gaza, claiming that Danon himself had “suggested the ethnic cleansing of some of Gaza’s population.”

“I will not allow it. Ethnic cleansing, that’s a word you used. If you read my article, I spoke about voluntary immigration,” Danon shot back.

Donati replied, “The sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust, I imagine.”

“Shame on you for that comparison!” Danon replied forcefully. “You should apologize for what you just said.”

Sky News did apologize later in the broadcast with Jonathan Samuels saying, “In an interview earlier today with Israeli politician Danny Danon, a Sky News presenter made a comparison between Mr. Donald’s comments on Israel’s war with Hamas and the treatment of Jewish people in the Holocaust. Sky News recognized the complete inappropriateness of this comparison and the offensive nature of those comments. Sky News would like to apologize unreservedly for the comparison, and to Mr. Danon personally for making the comparison.”

An internal email was also reportedly sent to Sky News staff about the incident. “This afternoon, Belle Donati made an inappropriate, unnecessary, and offensive on-air comparison to the Holocaust when interviewing Danny Danon, a former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations.”

“Sky News has apologised on air for the comparison made during Belle’s interview and will be apologising personally and directly to Mr Danon for the comments. It does not need to be restated that this is a significant and sensitive story,” the email added.

Danon wrote to Sky’s executive chairman David Rhodes on Sunday and demanded Donati, a former France 24 anchor and Al Jazeera English producer, also face “immediate termination” and noted she had yet to apologize for the remark.

Watch the clip above.

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