https://arab.news/gag25
- In January interview with Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon, presenter Belle Donati compared Israel’s military actions in Gaza to the Holocaust
LONDON: Sky News has not renewed the contract of anchor Belle Donati following backlash over a heated interview with Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon in January.
During the live broadcast, Donati compared Israel’s military actions in Gaza to the Holocaust, sparking widespread criticism. Sky News later issued an on-air apology for her remarks, though Donati did not do so herself.
According to entertainment outlet Deadline on Tuesday, the network chose not to renew Donati’s contract, which expired in early September.
She has not appeared on the channel since the incident, and her social media accounts have been inactive since the interview. Sky News declined to comment further on the matter.
The controversy arose when Donati questioned an op-ed by Danon in the Wall Street Journal that, she alleged, advocated for “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza.
“I will not allow it. Ethnic cleansing, that’s a word you used. If you read my article, I spoke about voluntary immigration,” Danon replied.
Donati said: “The sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust, I imagine.”
The remarks sparked an immediate backlash with Danon, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, accusing the presenter of antisemitism.
“Shame on you for that comparison,” Danon said. “You should apologize for what you just said.”
Following the broadcast, Danon wrote to Sky News management, calling for Donati’s resignation.
Sky News quickly distanced itself from her comments, labeling them “completely inappropriate” and offering an “unreserved apology” to both Danon and viewers.