Free speech in West: French broadcaster removes program replay after actress blasts Israeli genocide in Gaza
The French public broadcaster France Télévisions has removed the replay of a program in which actress Adèle Haenel denounced Israel’s genocide in Gaza and France’s complicity.
Haenel explained in a video posted on Instagram on Thursday that she appeared on France 5’s literary program La Grande Librairie on Wednesday, where guests were given freedom to express their views.
At the end of the program, Haenel declared, “Israel is committing genocide in Palestine, and France is complicit.”
“Do not accept the unacceptable,” she added, calling for sanctions against Israel and demanding, “Free Palestine.”
The actress revealed that her team recorded the segment because they expected her remarks on the genocide in Gaza to be removed, but France Télévisions instead deleted the entire replay from its website.
Haenel maintained that the decision exposed the silencing of voices supporting Palestine and the effort to push the issue out of public debate.
She also sarcastically thanked France Télévisions for strengthening her argument, saying the removal itself showed how pro-Palestinian views were being excluded.
The decision drew condemnation from lawmakers of the France Unbowed Party (LFI), with MP Sarah Legrain praising Haenel for “resisting all forms of domination” amid widespread silence over Palestine.
LFI lawmaker Gabrielle Cathala noted that the replay was removed after Haenel denounced Israel’s genocide against Palestinians and France’s complicity, while Danièle Obono described the decision as “scandalous.”
Fellow lawmaker Aymeric Caron argued that Haenel’s remarks about Gaza were accurate and demanded that the broadcaster explain who had pressured it to remove the replay.
According to French magazine Télérama, France Télévisions justified the decision by claiming that Haenel’s remarks on Palestine had not been balanced by an opposing view during the broadcast.
The broadcaster’s explanation has intensified criticism of its handling of Palestine-related speech, especially after it erased a program in which Haenel directly condemned Israel’s genocidal assault and France’s support for Tel Aviv.
Since Israel launched its genocidal campaign against Gaza on October 7, 2023, its forces have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 173,000 others, most of them women and children.
Gaza documentary ‘NAZA’ shows Israel used secret systems in mass killings of civilians
Leaked chemical dossier reveals Israel's role in Sudan's civil war: Report
Israel lays waste to south Lebanon as 1,100-ton blast triggers 4.1-magnitude tremor
Pezeshkian: US seeks to turn brotherly Muslim nations against each other
Lamerd emerges as symbol of resistance, resilience after US aggression: FM spox
Sana’a strikes back: How Yemeni military’s lightning advance redrew the Red Sea's strategic map
CIA documents reveal clear warnings to US president before 9/11
Anti-Israel protest cancels planned Jewish New Year celebrations in Thailand
The farce of ‘war on terror’: How US military-industrial complex bred terrorism after 9/11 attacks
VIDEO | Israeli media suggests debt relief to recruit US youth for Iran war
French broadcaster removes program replay after actress blasts Israeli genocide in Gaza
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
