Former UK Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to label Hamas a terrorist group Monday during a heated interview with talk show host Piers Morgan.
The leftist pol wouldn’t give a straight answer when Morgan repeatedly asked him if the Palestinian militants who launched a devastating attack on Israel last month were terrorists during the “Piers Morgan No Censorship” segment.
“Are they a terrorist group?” Morgan asked.
“Everybody knows what they are,” the MP replied to the TalkTV host.
“Are they a terrorist group?” Morgan asked again. “Can you say it? Can you say it? Can you call them a terrorist group?”
“Is it possible to have a rational discussion with you?” Corbyn asked in response as he tried to talk through Morgan’s questions over and over.
The two continued to clash in a full-on shouting match as Corbyn tried to back a ceasefire while Morgan continued to ask questions about Hamas.
Jeremy Corbyn and Piers Morgan battled it out on air Monday. Unfiltered Piers Morgan
The verbal spat ended when Morgan’s other guest, former Unite the Union General Secretary Len McCluskey, said “Of course” Hamas was a terrorist group.
“Why can’t you say that?” Morgan instructed an angry Corbyn.
Hamas, the ruling body in Gaza, has been designated a terrorist group by the United States, the UK government and the European Union.
Earlier in the interview, Corbyn “absolutely condemned” a Hamas sneak attack on the Jewish state that left an estimated 1,200 Israelis dead – the latest figure after Israel initially reported 1,400 of its own were killed.
“Of course I have, in every speech I make, I really condemn the killing on October 7 and it is the killing of innocent lives. It is completely wrong in any case. You do not reverse the tragedy of 1,400 deaths by killing 10,000 in Gaza. You have to have a process that leads to a ceasefire,” Corbyn said, also stating during the interview that he does not support Hamas.
Palestinians celebrate with a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis Saturday, Oct. 7. 2023. AP
The former party leader also said “it’s not up to you or me” if Hamas stays in power when asked if he believed the group should retain its control over Gaza by Morgan.
Corbyn was suspended by Britain’s opposition party in 2020 for refusing to accept a damning report about his handling of complaints of antisemitism.
The report claims Corbyn’s office breached equality laws through its “inexcusable” handling of complaints.
He appeared on Morgan’s show after he attended and spoke at a large pro-Palestinian rally over the weekend where some protesters reportedly chanted antisemitic slogans or held bigoted signs.
He told Morgan in response to examples of antisemitism, “If they’re breaking the law and showing illegal signs, then obviously the police have to act” while emphasizing the “peaceful nature” of the demonstration.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
