LONDON:Thousands of people have signed a petition to demand the resignation of Talk TV host Julia Hartley-Brewer after she was accused of ‘Islamophobia’ for her rude and unprofessional behaviour towards a Palestinian MP.
The petition on Change.org, titled A Call for The Resignation of Julia Hartley-Brewer, said the interview with Dr Mustafa Barghouti, a senior Hamas deputy leader who was killed in an Israeli drone strike, ‘which has been widely criticised as racist and unprofessional’, raised ‘serious questions about journalistic ethics and the treatment of guests on media platforms’.
The petition claimed that Hartley-Brewer’s comments were not only unprofessional but also sexist and racist. She interrupted her guest several times and shouted at him when he tried to answer her questions.
One signatory said the interview was a ‘disgrace’, while another said she needed to be ‘sacked’. The petition has received over 7,000 signatures since it was launched five days ago.
The interview has also been reported to Ofcom 15,536 times in the past week.
Many viewers praised Dr Barghouti for his calmness and patience despite being treated rudely by Hartley-Brewer.
X user Nabeel Rajab wrote: ‘I have never seen a presenter this bad. I admire this man and his patience with her impoliteness.’
X user Afif Aqrabawi added: ‘That was so frustrating to watch.’
X user Abukulaib AlJahl wrote: ‘What a disgraceful excuse for a journalist!’
