Owen Jones and Israeli activist Hen Mazzig sparred in a tense television row (Image: SKY NEWS)
Owen Jones and Hen Mazzig in tense television row
More Videos
0 seconds of 1 minute, 16 seconds Volume 90%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled
Shortcuts Open/Close / or ?
Play/Pause SPACE
Increase Volume ↑
Decrease Volume ↓
Seek Forward →
Seek Backward ←
Captions On/Off c
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreen f
Mute/Unmute m
Decrease Caption Size -
Increase Caption Size + or =
Seek % 0-9
Next Up
Sophy Ridge loses it with Owen Jones in heated on-air Israel row
01:37
twitter facebook Email Link https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/M1MPGsNs Copied
Live
00:00
01:16
01:16
More Videos
Close
Owen Jones and Israeli activist Hen Mazzig sparred in a tense television row on the war in Gaza last night. The left-wing journalist sparked outrage on social media after he suggested that Germany was "making Palestinians pay" due to its Holocaust guilt.
During the debate, the British political commentator said that if the UK ends arms sales to Israel, that "puts huge pressure on Germany, which has decided to make the Palestinian people pay for the grievous crimes it committed by attempting to exterminate the Jewish people".
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Link Sponsored Link
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Hero Wars
Play Hero Wars for free!Hero Wars Play Now
Undo
This prompted an immediate rebuke from Mr Mazzig, who responded: "Have some decency! I won't let you use the memory of the Holocaust this way, how dare you! This is a red line, even for you."
READ MORE: Israel opens three humanitarian routes into Gaza [LATEST]
British journalist Owen Jones, stated on live on TV tonight that Germany was "making Palestinians pay" because of their obscene guilt over the Holocaust.
Setting aside the unethical weaponization of one of the worst atrocities in all of history, in other words, Owen Jones is… pic.twitter.com/GPFUxYLQEb
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) April 4, 2024
Mr Jones denied claims that he was "disparaging the memory of the Holocaust" and insisted he "stood by" what he said.
His Israeli counterpart urged him to retract the comments, saying: "It is absolutely disgusting."
Sponsored
Nutritional Science Ltd
Nutritional Science LtdJoint Doctor Begs Brits To “Mend” Joints With This Tip (Every Morning)
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
However, Mr Jones was defiant, saying: "Germany has decided it can make up for its obscene guilt by forcing someone else to pay for the crimes Germany committed. It's straightforward point. There's nothing offensive about it."
Germany accounts for 30 percent of Israel's arms imports, second to the US which provided 69 percent of Israel's arms imports last year.
Mr Mazzig later wrote on social media that this remark was "obscene" and called for Mr Jones to be deplatformed.
He wrote: "Setting aside the unethical weaponization of one of the worst atrocities in all of history, in other words, Owen Jones is saying: never mind that thousands of Jews were butchered, beheaded, burnt alive, slaughtered, raped, dismembered, shot, tortured, kidnapped and held in captivity for the last six months - those people don't count as humans, those atrocities mean nothing, and any response to get back our hostages is completely illegitimate because Jews have no right to defend ourselves.
"Therefore, any support for this right—as well as the fight to dismantle the local arm of the biggest terrorist machine in the Middle East— can ONLY be explained by guilt over the last Nazi genocide. This guy should not be featured anywhere, this is obscene."
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Hen Mazzig called for Mr Jones to be deplatformed from future TV appearances (Image: SKY NEWS)
Mr Jones responded to the remarks on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: "The classic strategy in action here: Twist, distort, invent. I said Germany has forced the Palestinians to pay for its grave historic crimes. This is a fact.
"Claiming I don't think victims of war crimes I've repeatedly condemned aren't human is just an obscene lie."
Mr Mazzig also questioned why Mr Jones was "so angry" about the conflict, given he was not Jewish or Palestinian or Arab.
The left-wing commentator responded simply: "I object to genocide because I'm a human being."
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Thousands of Israelis protest against Netanyahu over war with Hamas
114 Comments
Dan Wootton clashes with Owen Jones after he urges Olly Alexander to 'quit' Eurovision
143 Comments
Thousands of Israelis protest against Netanyahu over war with Hamas
114 Comments
Dan Wootton clashes with Owen Jones after he urges Olly Alexander to 'quit' Eurovision
143 Comments
This comes as the UK government has come under intense pressure to end arms sales to Israel following the killing of seven aid workers in an air strike in Gaza earlier this week.
In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, three former Supreme Court justices joined more than 600 jurists in warning that the UK risks breaking international law over a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza if it does not stop its weapons exports to Israel.
Related articles British aid workers killed in Gaza by deadly ￡165,000 'Spike' missiles CIA 'warns Iran will attack Israel within 48 hours' as revenge for huge strike Israel urgently evacuates embassies as diplomats fear Iranian revenge strikes Civil servants threaten to stop working if UK sells arms to Israel Israel opens three humanitarian routes into Gaza