Pakistan's Foreign Minister invokes antisemitic slur

CNN

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke about Israel's actions in Gaza and said that Israel has "deep pockets" and "they control media," prompting strong pushback from CNN's Bianna

The controversy erupted after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga that Israel is losing “the media war, despite their connections.” The anchor swiftly asked the Pakistani leader to explain those “connections.”

“They [Israel] are very influential people,” Qureshi responded. “I mean, they control media.”

The CNN anchor shot back, saying “I would call that an antisemitic remark.”

Critics swiftly took to Twitter to denounce Qureshi’s comments.

In a CNN interview that was supposed to focus on the United Nations finding a solution to the violence between Israel and Hamas, Pakistan's top diplomat Shah Mahmood Qureshi instead made an anti-Semitic remark.

During the "Amanpour" program on Thursday, Golodryga repeatedly called out comments made on-air by the Pakistani foreign minister as anti-Semitic.

When pressed by Golodryga as to whether he could support calls for peace without anti-Semitic rhetoric, the Pakistani foreign minister said that he would not condone rocket attacks and "the aerial bombardment that is taking place."

The foreign minister denied that he had used an anti-Semitic trope.

"What I am saying is the perception. Look at the perception the world has. You cannot ignore that ... negate it. Negate it. By giving a balanced coverage, negate it."

Golodryga asked whether the foreign minister was able to be an honest diplomatic broker in the conflict and whether he would agree that Israeli and Palestinian lives are equally important. "I am objective and I would want to be objective. Loss of life, I will not condone. Every life, every human life is important to me," he replied.

Golodryga asked Qureshi "personally to please avoid using anti-Semitic tropes." Qureshi responded by saying he has "never been anti-Semitic and I never will be."

CTM News

21 May 2021