Having arrived in New York to attend the UNGA emergency meeting convened to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and bring an end to 11 days of Israeli aerial bombardment, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was interviewed by CNN and accused of making an anti-Semitic remark by the anchor.
What Happened: The interview was broadcasted live and conducted by CNN’s Bianna Golodryga. The minister began the interview by talking about Israel’s rampant belligerence against Gaza and announced that he was convinced that a ceasefire was “inevitable” due to mounting public pressure on Israel. When Qureshi remarked, “Israel is losing out, they are losing the media war despite their connections. The tide is turning,” Golodryga asked him what connection he was referring to. Qureshi laughed and said: “deep pockets.” “What does the mean?” asked Golodryga. To which Qureshi replied: “They are very influential people. They control the media.” To this, the CNN anchor said: “I mean I would call that an anti-Semitic remark.” Golodryga tweeted:
I had planned to speak with Pakistan’s foreign minister about paths towards a peaceful resolution between Israel and Hamas. Instead, he began the interview by invoking an anti-Semitic slur. Here’s the full interview. https://t.co/W8cOsWotvq
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) May 20, 2021
The Response: Pakistanis, enraged at Golodryga’s accusation. have taken to Twitter to defend Qureshi.
Ridicule Islam & our Prophet PBUH & spread Islamophobia by claiming it as "freedom of speech"; when we highlight Israelis "deep pockets" & influence over western media & govts, it gets labelled "anti Semitic"! Massacre Palestinians & claim it's right of self defence.
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) May 21, 2021
What a load of rubbish! But this comment itself proves @SMQureshiPTI's point viz Israel's influence over US media! But how is this remark anti-Semitic? Shameful bias and false allegation! Cant take the truth CNN! #StandwithPalestine https://t.co/wqXL4zDrL9
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) May 21, 2021
Shah Mehmood Qureshi's suggestions that Israel controls media narrative in US is not anti-Semitic. Noam Chomsky & a host of American intellectuals have repeatedly exposed media bias against Palestinians. Such blackmail should not distract from US complicity in Israeli war crimes.
— Ammar Ali Jan (@ammaralijan) May 20, 2021
Where's the lie? Condemning isis is not islamophobia just like condemning Israel is not antisemitism. https://t.co/7Bz0Oq5y5o
— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) May 20, 2021
Exceptional or Criminal? @biannagolodryga nonsensically accuses @SMQureshiPTI for anti semeticism to deflect from Israel's propaganda machine which washes its crimes & does carry considerable influence over western news & ent media, corps & lobbies/funds politicians & thinktanks https://t.co/f31MNs3vJy
— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) May 20, 2021