White House Urges Fox News to Issue Apology for Disturbing Islamophobic Tirade by Prominent Host
Fox News fuels controversy with Islamophobic rhetoric, prompting White House to demand an apology from top host
Fox News once again revealing its true colors.
The right-wing television network has faced significant criticism following Islamophobic remarks made by one of its top hosts, Jesse Watters, on its popular show "The Five". Despite the backlash, the network has chosen to remain completely silent.
During a contentious segment discussing activists tearing down posts highlighting Israeli hostages, Watters launched into a shocking tirade expressing his frustration and disdain towards Arab Americans and the Muslim world as a whole. He boldly declared that "we have reached the limit with them" in his rant.
If you are an Arab American in the United States and you tear down posters displaying Jewish hostages or American hostages, it is not acceptable. Engaging in such actions may result in physical confrontation, as tearing down these posters is regarded as disrespectful and offensive. These comments made by Watters and Fox News elicited a strong response from the White House, which condemned them as a "disturbing assault on the rights and respect of their fellow Americans." The White House further demanded an apology from Fox News to all of its viewers.
Do not expect an apology from Fox News regarding the derogatory remarks made by one of their top hosts. As usual, Fox News has chosen to remain silent on the matter, despite millions of viewers being exposed to the hateful rant.
This is not the first instance of such abhorrent comments from Watters since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. In October, he expressed his disapproval of attempts to distinguish between Palestinians and Hamas.
"I observe individuals carrying firearms, which are associated with Hamas. The Palestinians, on the other hand, are those who do not possess guns. They share similar beliefs," Watters stated during that period. "The Palestinians employ Hamas to govern their state. If surveyed, they express support for causing harm to Jews. This belief is even outlined in their charter, as they endorse the use of suicide bombings."
In a reputable news organization and the majority of corporate settings, such statements would be deemed totally unacceptable. The host would undoubtedly face public reprimand, and at the very least, an immediate apology would be issued.
Fox News is displaying a distinct contrast. Its failure to address the issue further demonstrates that Rupert Murdoch's television division is unbothered by disseminating hateful content to the general public. Even though Tucker Carlson may no longer be present, offensive remarks such as this continue to be aired without any consequences from the network. Needless to say, expressing hate and capitalizing on it is a deplorable action. However, in the current tense climate, where hate towards Muslim Americans is on the rise alongside anti-Semitism, it becomes even more irresponsible and abhorrent.
Stamping out bigotry from the public discourse should be everyones mission. For some, however, injecting intolerance into the conversation seems to be the modus operandi.
