A political talk show about the crisis in Syria on Hezbollah’s television channel turned into an exchange of insults, profanities and almost developed into a fist fight on Friday.
The show brought together two men, each of whom holds starkly different opinions, to debate the Syrian crisis. The result is a nasty verbal fight that highlights the bitter divisions in Lebanon as a whole when it comes to neighboring Syria.
Salem Zahran, Director of the Media Focal Center (Irtikaz) is one of the guests. He is an avid supporter of the Syrian regime. The other guest is Asaad Bishara, a political writer and journalist for Lebanon’s al-Joumhouria newspaper. Bishara supports the Syrian revolution and insists that Bashar al-Assad must be removed from power.
The debate began to heat up when Zahran accused Bishara of working as a “spy” for Israel and called him a “foul.”
Bishara hit back with profanities against Zahran and his family. This was live on the screen of the radical Islamist group Hezbollah.
Deeply provoked and unable to take it, Zahran lashed out against Bishrara with insults and splashed a glass of water at him.
Imad Mirmil, the show host, held Bishara to protect him from the furious Zahran. Seconds later, al-Manar TV suspended the broadcast.
However, the show was back on the screen minutes later and the discussion resumed, this time in a respected manner. The show host apologized, and the two “enemies” shook hands at the end.
MEMRI has the video: