Israeli spokesman Eylon Levy was visibly shocked after being asked about the value of Palestinian lives in the hostage-prisoner swap with Hamas.
Sky News interviewer Kay Burley suggested the Jewish state places less value on Palestinian lives because it would exchange 150 Palestinian prisoners to get 50 hostages taken and being held by terrorists.
“I was speaking to a hostage negotiator this morning. He made the comparison between the 50 hostages that Hamas promised to release, as opposed to the 150 prisoners that are Palestinians that Israel has said that it will release,” Burley said. “And he made the comparison between the numbers and the fact that does Israel not think Palestinian lives are valued as highly as Israeli lives?”
Levy responded with a shocked face.
“The first question that left me speechless,” Levy wrote on X. “But only for a second.”
“That is an astonishing accusation,” Levy told Burley.
“If we could release one prisoner for every one hostage, we would obviously do that. We are operating in horrific circumstances,” he said.
Levy pointed out the Palestinian prisoners are convicted of violent attacks against Israeli civilians.
“Notice the question of proportionality doesn’t interest Palestinian supporters when they are able to get more of their prisoners out,” he said. “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 that we don’t care about Palestinian lives? Really, that’s a disgusting accusation.”
Burley appeared unfazed by Levy’s astonishment. Watch the clip below:
The first question that left me speechless (but only for a second): pic.twitter.com/P4Bh0SKtl9
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 23, 2023
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