Did LBC suspend Sangita Myska for questioning Israel?

  • Post last modified:April 28, 2024
  • Reading time:10 mins read


Speculation is rife that LBC has suspended Sangita Myska. Those speculating believe it has something to do with a hard-hitting interview she conducted with a spokesperson of Israel’s government:

Sangita Myska

Myska is an “Award-winning Podcast, Radio, TV Presenter” who has worked at the BBC. In her Twitter bio, she displays the phrase “No fear, No favour”.

On 24 April, Channel 4‘s international editor Lindsey Hilsum tweeted:

Others had similar concerns, and Myska responded to one of them:

This tweet didn’t explain her absence, leaving people to speculate. Metro contacted LBC and Myska for comment, but has not reported a response.

Holding power to account

The interview shared by Lowkey was broadcast on 16 April, and it features Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman. In the clip, Myska notes:

What the Iranians.. have said is that this is a retaliatory strike after Israel struck its consulate in Syria.

Hyman shakes his head through this and says what sounds like ‘no’. At this point it’s unclear if he’s disagreeing with the fact that Iran said this; the fact that Israel struck first, or some third thing, but both of the former points are demonstrably correct.

Myska continues:

Now we all know that the way diplomacy works is consulates and embassies are considered sovereign territory of the government that is concerned. What Israel did by taking that action against Iran was… escalate what was already an incredibly fragile situation.

Hyman once again shakes his head, but you don’t need to be a legal scholar to understand that firing missiles at a country’s consulate might be considered an ‘escalation’. After his shaking finally comes to a stop, Hyman argues:

Sangita that’s an outrageous framing of the reality.

Myska righteously hits back:

It’s not an outrageous framing; I’ve just been speaking to somebody who was a diplomat to Iran from the UK government. That’s not an outrageous framing.

After repeating the point about the consulate being foreign soil, Myska says:

there was undoubtedly going to be blowback, so did Israel game out what was going to happen next?

Hold on to your hats, because it somehow gets more ridiculous from this point onwards. Hyman responds:

Firstly, I’m not going to speak directly to that strike

Myska asks what any normal person would:

Why not?

Ignoring her, Hyman continues:

This is why it’s outrageous. I can say definitively… that that wasn’t an embassy; it wasn’t a consulate; it wasn’t any type of diplomatic mission.

Myska notes it has been widely reported as such, angering Hyman, who snaps:

Because that’s what Iran says!

Laughing at the blustering goon, Myska asks:

Are you suggesting every single news organisation in the world has got that wrong?

Hyman responds by shrugging – his face somehow redder than the Palestinian blood on his hands.

Where’s Sangita Myska?

Many people online are asking what’s happened to the broadcaster:

 

Some people are sharing a petition:

The petition reads:

As an avid listener and supporter of LBC, I am deeply saddened by the sudden and unexplained removal of Sangita Myska from the air. Sangita is a professional and thorough journalist whose insightful reporting has been a cornerstone of LBC’s programming. Her absence leaves a void that cannot be easily filled, depriving listeners of her unique perspective on critical issues.

We believe in the importance of diverse voices in media and we value Sangita’s contribution towards this goal. We urge LBC to reconsider their decision and reinstate Sangita Myska immediately. Please sign this petition if you support our cause.

UK journalism

While the phrase ‘UK journalism’ can often seem like an oxymoron, individual journalists can do good work. You can usually tell when it happens, because the journalists in question pay for it.

We don’t know why Myska is off the air, but we do know this; when she was confronted by a mouthpiece from a war-mongering government, Sangita Myska spoke truth to power.

Featured image via LBC

By The Canary





Source link