‘Have Some Decency’: Debate Derails As Owen Jones Accuses Germany Of ‘Making Palestinians Pay’ For Its Holocaust Guilt
Commentator Owen Jones defended his claim that Germany is “making Palestinians pay” for its Holocaust guilt by supporting Israel in a debate on Sky News that outraged Israeli activist Hen Mazzig who demanded Jones “have some decency.”
The pair appeared as guests on Sky News’ The World show, hosted by Adam Parsons, when the argument erupted.
It began when Jones suggested that if the UK were to “end arms sales” to Israel that it would put “huge pressure on Germany, which has decided to make the Palestinian people pay for the grievous crimes it committed by attempting to exterminate the Jewish people.”
Jones: “Britain doesn’t supply that many arms, but if it ends arms sales, that then puts huge pressure on Germany, which has decided to make the Palestinian people pay for the grievous crimes it committed by attempting to exterminate the Jewish people.”
Mazzig: “Come on, have some decency. No, I won’t let you… the memory of The Holocaust will not be used this way. How dare you. You’re not Jewish. Don’t do that. Really, don’t do it. It shouldn’t be used. This is a red line. Even for you, it’s a red line.”
Jones: “It shouldn’t be used to force the Palestinians…”
Parsons: “Hen believes that you are disparaging the memory of the Holocaust.”
Mazzig: “Of course he just did.”
Jones: “No, I didn’t.”
Mazzig: “You said that Germany is making Palestinians pay for the six million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust?”
Jones: “Yes, I did.”
Mazzig: “This is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
Jones: “I stand by what I said because it’s absolutely true.”
Parsons: “Are you saying that Germany is supporting Israel because of what happened in the Holocaust, rather than punishing the Palestinians?”
Jones: “Germany has decided it can make up for its obscene guilt by forcing somebody else to pay for the crimes that Germany committed. It’s a very straightforward point. There’s nothing offensive about it.”
Mazzig: “Of course it’s offensive. I’m telling you it’s offensive, and I’m a Jewish Israeli. I’m telling you it’s offensive, and you still will not take it back.”
Jones: “No, I…”
Mazzig: “Because you don’t care about Jews because you don’t care about anti-semitism.”
Jones: “You know what’s interesting? I interviewed a German-Israeli. I interviewed a German-Israeli, and people should check that interview, the German-Israeli.”
Parsons: “One person’s opinion is not definitive.”
Jones: “They’re shutting down… Jewish people in Germany who speak about Gaza.”
The debate returned to a conversation about arms sales but the fallout raged online afterward as viewers either championed or blasted Jones’ take.
The panellists themselves continued as Mazzig took to X to blast Jones’ stance as an “obscene” and “unethical weaponization” of history. He called for Jones to be deplatformed.
On his own feed, Jones defended his take by quoting the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said: “Our own history, our responsibility deriving from the Holocaust, makes it our permanent duty to stand up for the existence and security of the State of Israel. This responsibility guides us.”
Watch above on Sky News.
