Sky News’s Mark Austin interviewed Israeli minister Tzachi Hanegbi about the historic Abraham Accords signed in Washington yesterday.
But, as you’ll see, the presenter somehow found a negative framing of the normalisation of ties between Israel and the Gulf states UAE and Bahrain – an agreement which will likely result on other Arab states following suit, and the increasing rejection by Arab leaders of their historic hatred towards the Jewish state.
Here’s the first revealing line of questioning, where, as pointed out by Sussex Friends of Israel, Austin seems unaware that Israel withdrew from Gaza 15 years ago.
🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/teRKj9rmcz
— SussexFriendsofIsrael (@SussexFriends) September 15, 2020
But, now for the presenter’s genuinely absurd criticism of the deal:
WATCH- “So you are happy to sign deals with Saudi, Bahrain despite the human rights issues?” – @markaustintv
“They are the same deals that your country signed aren’t they Mark?” – @Tzachi_Hanegbi pic.twitter.com/d5LujWF8kf
— SussexFriendsofIsrael (@SussexFriends) September 15, 2020
As you see, Hanegbi effectively refuted Austin’s suggestion that it’s morally unacceptable for Israel to normalise relations with human rights abusing countries, as the London-based presenter somehow needed to be reminded that the UK maintains normal relations with countries like UAE – as do the overwhelming majority of nations.
Also, as Tablet’s Armin Rosen points out, Israel is making peace with autocracies because they’re the only states left in the world who currently don’t already have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Israel's making peace with autocracies because just about every country with which it does not have diplomatic relations is itself an autocracy. Indeed, all of the most anti-Israel governments on the planet—Iran, Turkey, Syria, etc—are autocracies
— Armin Rosen (@ArminRosen) September 16, 2020
Indeed, if you take the Sky News presenter’s logic to its natural conclusion, it would be wrong for Israel to make peace with the Palestinians due to the horrible human rights records of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Moreover, as we’ve shown previously in our critique of the Guardian’s warped Arab-Israeli normalisation rejectionism, Sky News isn’t alone in their insistence on seeing the cloud in the silver lining. Both outlets insist that Israel’s peace deal with UAE and Bahrain isn’t important because the ‘core issue’ is the Palestinian issue. However, this gets it exactly wrong, since the fact that Arab states are willing to make peace with Israel regardless of the I-P conflict in fact demonstrates that the question of ‘Palestine’ is NOT the core issue.
It seems that some journalists only care about peace if it’s achieved in a way which affirms their ideology.
Since Israel’s normalisation with UAE and Bahrain shows the fallacy of the MSM’s conventional “road to Mid-East peace runs through Jerusalem” theory, they’re unmoved by it – sadly suggesting that narcissism, not the desire for peace or justice, guides their thinking.
Even for the western media, this is gob-smacking ignorance. The interviewer even gets incensed.
‘The core issue which is the Palestinians’.
The core isuue is peace and prosperity for all, not the Palestinian veto on all peace-talks. What an eejit.
This must be one of the worst displays of ignorance I can remember by an interviewer.
Prince Charles hops over to the Saudis and dances for them whenever the British arms industry needs a few billions more .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLJAKp1pUO0
Apart from the breathtaking ignorance or deliberate lies of this interviewer (e.g. Israel occupies Gaza), the idea that Israel must take the Palestinians into account when making peace with another country – or that the other country must consider the Palestinians when making peace with Israel is inherently flawed.
No other countries face such a demand when making bi-lateral agreements.
I would much rather listen to Sky News Australia- They at least give a realistic view- Sky UK seems to be run by Murdochs` daughter in law a raging Left Winger.