BBC pundit in ‘vile’ rant that links Kabul chaos with Israel
A BBC television pundit has made a “vile” rant predicting that Israel will be invaded by its enemies and the desperate scenes around Kabul airport will be repeated at Ben Gurion, leading to widespread condemnation.
Abdel Bari Atwan, who has appeared on the BBC, Sky and CNN, said that unlike Kabul, there would be no planes for Israelis and their only option to escape “will be the Mediterranean Sea”.
His shocking comments came as the world witnessed desperate Afghans flocking to Kabul airport to escape the Taliban as they overran the city in the wake of US troop withdrawal.
As the former editor of Al Quds Al Arabi, Atwan is a public figure and he has appeared on Dateline London on BBC World, Al Jazeera English and Sky News, as well as America’s CNN.
However critics have accused broadcasters of turning a “blind eye” to the “rants” he delivers when appearing on Arab television channels.
Speaking in Arabic on Lebanese channel Mayadeen TV, the British-Palestinian pundit said: “Israel today is in a state of confusion and panic, they know very well that what happened in Kabul airport will repeat itself at Ben Gurion airport.
“But Ben Gurion airport will be closed, there will be no planes in it, they will have no other option but to flee through the sea. By Allah, they should listen to the advice of Hassan Nasrallah and start learning how to swim because their only option will be Cyprus, their only option will be the Mediterranean Sea.”
During the interview, the television host smiles as Atwan makes a reference to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
and jokes about Israelis swimming to Cyprus.
Atwan also references a 1995 meeting he had with then Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat in Tunisia. During the late night meeting, Arafat told the pundit he would live long enough to see Israelis fleeing Palestine “like rats fleeing a sinking ship”.
“Today I believe that prophecy will come true,” he adds.
Video of the interview was translated and posted on the Twitter account of Washington based Middle East Research Unit.
It raises fresh questions about the BBC’s use of a pundit with such extreme views and was immediately condemned by Jewish organisations.
Michael Dickson, Israel’s executive director of Stand With Us, tweeted: “This raving propagandist has for years been given a huge audience in English by @BBC @BBCNews who wilfully turned a blind eye to his crazy rants in Arabic. Sorry Abdel, Israel is going nowhere – we have been here for thousands of years and we will be here forever more.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre tweeted: “That didn’t take long. Genocideseeking haters of Jewish state inspired by Afghanistan debacle.”
UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer tweeted: “The idea of the Taliban defeating America is exciting jihadists and antisemites worldwide.”
StopAntisemitism tweeted the BBC directly describing Atwan’s views as “vile”.
BBC wilfully turned a blind eye to his crazy rants in Arabic