Sky News presenter Belle Donati resigned from the network following a controversial interview in January in which she compared the Israel-Hamas War to the Holocaust, entertainment industry news outlet Deadline reported on Tuesday.
The comparison led to Sky News apologizing on air, though Donati herself did not issue an apology. Following the incident, her contract was not renewed, and she has not appeared on air since January. Her social media presence has also been inactive since then.
Sky News has declined to comment on the situation, and Donati has been approached for a statement.
During the interview, UN ambassador Danny Danon criticized how Belle Donati characterized his November Wall Street Journal op-ed. "You suggested the ethnic cleansing of some of Gaza’s population to Western countries that would accept the refugees," Donati claimed. Danon countered, emphasizing, "Ethnic cleansing, that’s a word you used. If you read my article, I spoke about voluntary immigration."
Donati then drew another controversial comparison, stating, “The sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust, I imagine.” Danon responded angrily, accusing her of antisemitism: “Shame on you for that comparison. You should apologize for what you just said,” according to Deadline’s report.
Sky News recognizes inappropriate comparison
He then described Donati as an “insolent interviewer” and later demanded that Sky News boss David Rhodes ensure her immediate resignation. The network issued an on-air apology and did not renew Donati’s contract.
Following the interview, Sky News issued an on-air statement from presenter Jonathan Samuels, where he said, “In an interview earlier today with Israeli politician Danny Danon, a Sky News presenter made a comparison between Mr. Danon’s comments on Israel’s war with Hamas and the treatment of Jewish people in the Holocaust. Sky News recognized the complete inappropriateness of this comparison and the offensive nature of those comments. Sky News would like to apologize unreservedly for the comparison and to Mr Danon personally for making the comparison.”
Belle Donati, who had been a freelance presenter at Sky News since 2021 and previously worked for Euronews and the BBC, did not apologize herself. Following the incident, Sky News chose not to renew her contract.