Lebanese officials and the country's media have responded strongly to France's recent measure banning the Lebanese Hizbullah's Al Manar satellite television network from broadcasting in the country. In a letter to the French Foreign Ministry which was disclosed on August 13, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced its support of Hizbullah's Al Manar network and condemned the legal proceedings that have been brought against it, arguing that the station's programming was anti-Zionist, not anti-Semitic.
| "There's a diffo, y'see? It's... ummm..." |
The letter from the Lebanese ministry argued that Al Manar was mistakenly accused of anti-Semitism, while the station actually condemned "the Zionist ideology and practices at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict and at the source of suffering by the Palestinian people."
"Danger lies in the Israeli government's attempt to portray every opposing policy as an attack on the Jewish people," it said. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Emile Lahud also criticized the action and called on France to reflect further on the principles of freedom. It is thought that France made the decision to ban Al Manar broadcasts in order to improve its ties with the Zionist regime. Disagreements arose between France and the Zionist regime after Israel began encouraging French Jews to immigrate to Israel and to settle in the occupied territories of Palestine.
| Since the Frenchies seem to be reverting to old habits of... ummm... anti-Zionism. |
The dispute led to verbal clashes between French and Israeli officials. In addition, the Zionist regime's accusations that European governments have not taken effective steps to combat anti-Semitism in Europe have increased tension between the two sides and strained Europe-Israel relations. Israel is creating this commotion in order to pressure European countries and force them to comply with Zionist demands. |