Israeli Commentator Amit Segal Clashes With Critics on Piers Morgan Show

Israeli commentator Amit Segal engaged in a heated debate with critics of Israel, including Mehdi Hasan, on Piers Morgan's show, addressing the war in Gaza and a recent hijacking attempt. Segal accused his opponents of holding Israel to a double standard.

Prior to Segal's appearance, a separate argument occurred between host Piers Morgan and Mehdi Hasan, and IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus. The discussion centered on the number of journalists killed in Gaza, with the Committee to Protect Journalists citing a high number, while the IDF claimed many were Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives. Hasan vehemently disputed the IDF's claims, calling the army "a lying army," while Conricus presented data suggesting that Hamas and other groups had mourned 71 of the 170 individuals named by the IDF as terrorists. Conricus also estimated that approximately 25,000 terrorists had been eliminated and accused Hasan of ignoring Hamas's use of civilians as human shields. Commentator Omar Baddar supported Hasan, accusing Israel of "mass murder and ethnic cleansing" and suggesting that barring foreign journalists from Gaza was an attempt to hide these alleged crimes.

Segal then joined the discussion, sarcastically remarking on Hasan's silence following an attempted hijacking of a passenger plane by an Omani pilot. When pressed by Morgan about the restrictions on foreign journalists in Gaza, Segal argued that if critics claim only active journalists were killed, they shouldn't be so insistent on allowing more journalists into the territory. He likened reporting freely under Hamas rule to expecting free reporting in North Korea, adding that failure to comply with Hamas directives could result in death.

Hasan attempted to discredit Segal by mentioning his past work at Galei Tzahal, which Hasan labeled "propaganda." Segal countered that Galei Tzahal is one of the most critical Israeli news outlets regarding the government, emphasizing the moral and democratic superiority of Israel over Hamas's "fundamentalist and fanatic dictatorship." Segal concluded that a Muslim reporter from Israel attempting to report from Gaza would likely be killed by Hamas.

Towards the end of the program, Segal confronted his critics about their obsession with blaming Israel for all incidents, including the plane hijacking attempt. He demanded Hasan condemn Islamic terrorism, accusing him of spreading conspiracy theories and adhering to a worldview where Israel is inherently evil and Muslims can do no wrong. Hasan maintained he condemns all civilian deaths, while Segal and other Israeli participants stood firm against what they perceived as a clear bias.