DUBAI: The White House has condemned Fox News and demanded an apology after on-air comments this week by political commentator Jesse Watters about Muslims and Arab Americans.
During the show “The Five” on Wednesday, Watters said: “We — and when I say we, I mean the West and Western technology — have created the Middle East. We made them rich. We got that oil out of the ground, our military protects all of these oil shipments flying around the world, making them rich. We fund their military. We respect their kings. We kill their terrorists. OK? But we’ve had it. We’ve had it with them.”
He added that “Obama, Trump, now Biden have tried to get the heck out of that stupid desert” and just as the US was about to succeed in doing so, “these crazy Muslim fanatics come in and massacre over a 1,000 of our allies and hold Jewish people hostage, hold Americans hostage.
“If you’re an Arab American in this country and you rip down posters of Jewish hostages, American hostages — no. No, no, no. Someone is going to get punched in the face.”
The White House deputy press secretary, Andrew Bates, told The Guardian newspaper: “Fox News owes an apology to every single viewer for this sickening attack on the rights and dignity of their fellow Americans.”
Bates also highlighted “the spike in threats against Muslim and Arab Americans,” citing as an example the case of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, who was stabbed to death at his Illinois home on Oct. 14 by the family’s landlord.
“President Biden will always stand up against Islamophobia, antisemitism and all forms of hate. Fox News should learn from his example,” said Bates.
