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(JNS) – Belle Donati, a presenter for Sky News, has left the Comcast-owned network following a contentious interview with Danny Danon, then a Likud lawmakers and now Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., in which she likened Israel’s actions in Gaza to Nazi Germany’s during the Holocaust.
For those who didn’t see @SkyNews interview last Friday afternoon with anchor Belle Donati speaking with Minister Danny Dannon of the Likud.
Belle quoted his article about voluntary migration from Gaza and then used the words “ethnic cleansing” which he never said.
(1/3) pic.twitter.com/wOIzKp6biZ
— James J. Marlow (@James_J_Marlow) January 28, 2024
The incident occurred during a January interview discussing an op-ed Danon, then a Likud Knesset member, and Yesh Atid MK Ram Ben-Barak wrote in The Wall Street Journal in November 2023. Donati characterized the piece by stating, “You suggested the ethnic cleansing of some of Gaza’s population to Western countries that would accept the refugees.”
The thread got broken but this was the continuation of this interview from pro-Palestinian activist @belledonati and Friday afternoon anchor, when she compared the Gaza situation to Jews during the Holocaust.
Israel is demanding her sacking from making such a shameful remark. https://t.co/LBOPvo3p3s
— James J. Marlow (@James_J_Marlow) January 28, 2024
Danon swiftly rejected this interpretation, responding, “I will not allow it. Ethnic cleansing, that’s a word you used. If you read my article, I spoke about voluntary immigration.”
This prompted an angry response from Danon, who accused the presenter of antisemitism, saying, “Shame on you for that comparison. You should apologize for what you just said.”
And this was @SkyNews making the much needed apology for what @belledonati the anchor earlier on Friday had said about Jews and the Holocaust.
Belle is free to have her opinion about Jews and Israel, but she should not be a Sky News employee. https://t.co/jn1eyXo0hd
— James J. Marlow (@James_J_Marlow) January 28, 2024
Following the interview, Danon took to X to express his outrage.
“This insolent interviewer from @SkyNews disgracefully drew comparisons between the situation in Gaza and the Holocaust. Shame on her,” he wrote.
In a subsequent tweet, Danon revealed that he had submitted a letter to Sky News Group requesting Donati’s immediate termination, stating, “In 2024, there should be no tolerance for news anchors who propagate antisemitism and draw inappropriate parallels between the democratic State of Israel and the Nazis.”
Sky News was quick to distance itself from Donati’s comments. In an on-air statement, presenter Jonathan Samuels said, “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.”
News website Deadline, which covers entertainment, Hollywood and media news, reported that Sky News declined to renew Donati’s contract following the January exchange. Donati, who had been working as a freelance presenter for Sky News since 2021, has not appeared on the network since the interview. Her Twitter account has also been dormant since January.
Before her tenure at Sky News, Donati worked for Euronews and the BBC. Sky News has declined to comment on the matter, and Deadline and other news agencies’ attempts to reach Donati for comment have been unsuccessful.
