Sky News makes 'disgusting accusation' of racism against Israel for releasing more Palestinian prisoners than Israeli hostages

A Sky News reporter surprised the Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy when she accused Israel of “racism” against 150 imprisoned Palestinian prisoners about to be released in exchange for 50 Israeli hostages being held captive by the Hamas terror organization.

The Sky News reporter claimed that such lopsided 3:1 Israel-Hamas hostage deal indicates that Israel values Palestinian lives less than Israeli lives.

A visibly stunned Levy slammed the Sky News reporter for the false accusation and stressed that Israel reluctantly agreed to release convicted terrorists in exchange for innocent civilian Israeli citizens.

“Notice the question of proportionality doesn’t interest Palestinian supporters when they’re able to get more of their prisoners out. But really, it is outrageous to suggest that the fact that we are willing to release prisoners who are convicted of terrorism offenses, more of them than we are getting our own innocent children back, somehow suggests we don’t care about Palestinian lives. Really, that is a disgusting accusation,” Levy stated.

The first question that left me speechless (but only for a second): pic.twitter.com/P4Bh0SKtl9

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 23, 2023

Gary Mond, chairman of the National Jewish Assembly, echoed Levy’s remark by arguing that the slanderous accusation by the Sky News reporter signaled a new low in anti-Israel media bias.

"Like most others, I believe that this is an insidious comparison. To even put the totally innocent hostages taken by Hamas in the same sentence as those guilty of stabbing, attempted murder, and other heinous crimes is sickening. The very fact that a journalist can make such a comparison is a demonstration of the depths to which anti-Israel bias has now sunk," Mond said.

During the ongoing Hamas-Israel war, Israel has systematically tried to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza and urged innocent Gazans to move from the battle zones in northern Gaza to the south.

By contrast, the Hamas terror organization has displayed a complete disregard for any civilian lives, murdering more than 1,200 Israeli civilians on the Oct. 7 massacre and then using their own civilians as human shields – thus committing a double war crime according to international law.

Hamas terrorists have also tried to prevent Gazan civilians from leaving the war zones by shooting at them.

In 2011, the Jewish state released more than 1,000 Palestinian convicted terrorists in exchange for the imprisoned IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

One of those Palestinian prisoners released was Yahya Sinwar, the current Hamas chief in Gaza and the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre.

Israeli hostages held by terrorists have always been a sensitive topic for the Jewish state, which has consistently demonstrated it is willing to pay a heavy price for the release of its imprisoned citizens.

As the temporary pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday morning, Israel is now anxiously awaiting the release of the first 13 Israeli hostages, scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. Israel time. 

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed that the Jewish state had received a preliminary list of hostages to be released by Hamas.

“Israel confirms that a preliminary list of names has been received,” the Prime Minister’s Office stated. “The appointed officials are checking the details of the list and are in contact with all the families at these moments,” it added.