Politicians trading blows on live TV
A DEBATE broadcast live on Al Jazeera on Tuesday got overheated when the studio guests started trading blows.
After a passionate verbal exchange, Lebanese political analyst Joseph Abu Fadel, a supporter of Syrian president Bashar Assad, attacked Syrian opposition activist Muhieddine Ladkani. The show’s presenter failed to separate the two and the programme cut to a commercial break.
Lebanon’s The Daily Star reports that Ladkani criticized Abu Fadel’s opposition to Qatar’s position on Syria; the emir of Qatar has called for the deployment of Arab troops there. Ladkani said Abu Fadel had previously praised Doha’s efforts to restore Lebanon’s infrastructure after the 2006 Lebanon War. He claimed Fadel had been among the residents of Beirut who held up signs with pictures of the emir and thanking Qatar for helping Lebanon.
Fadel wasn’t impressed. He shouted “Shut up!”. Then he got out of his seat, went around the studio table and started threatening to beat up Ladkani. The Daily Star points out that the show, Al-Ittijah Al-Mu’akis (The Opposite Direction), is infamous for such passionate confrontations.
Here’s the video:
This live fight came just months after two rival Lebanese politicians traded punches during a debate about Syria, broadcast on Lebanese channel MTV:
But the Lebanese and Syrians are not the only passionate TV debaters around.
Here’s a punch-up between politicians in Georgia:
Pakistan:
Iraq:
Visit Nathalie Rothschild’s personal website here. Follow her on Twitter @n_rothschild.
Posted: 1st, February 2012 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
