Some of you (around 68 million people!) have watched this CNN clip of me from Monday on Abby Phillip’s show ‘NewsNight’. It was upsetting and disturbing, to say the least, to have a Trump-supporting panelist direct a racist and terroristic comment at me, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” for saying something as simple as “I’m a supporter of the Palestinians.”
I haven’t spoken about this incident since Monday night, despite multiple news stories being published about it around the world.
I have been inundated with requests for comment, words of support (and shock), and yes, even tweets online pushing false claims about what I said on air. But I have held back from responding… until now.
The video above is my reaction to what happened – and why it matters. It’s the first time I’m speaking about it. We’ve seen this kind of violent and offensive rhetoric used on Palestinians and their supporters on live television before. I wish that no one has to respond to such attacks ever again. Though sadly, I don’t think that will be the case.
Nevertheless, perhaps there are lessons here for political commentators and for the mainstream media.
Thank you for your support,
Mehdi
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