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Russell Brand accuses Sean Hannity of terrorism after aggressive Israel-Gaza debate

Hannity, who is famously right-wing and pro-Israel, asked Yousef Munayyer if he was 'thick in the head'

Jenn Selby
Friday 01 August 2014 10:02 BST
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Russell Brand has accused right-wing Fox News anchor Sean Hannity of behaving “like a terrorist” after he shouted down a Palestinian-American guest in a debate over Israel-Gaza.

Hannity, who is famously right-wing and pro-Israel, asked Yousef Munayyer if he was "thick in the head" as he attempted in vain to get him to agree that Hamas were a terrorist organisation.

"One of the definitions of 'terrorist' is using intimidation to reach your goals," Brand said on his satirical YouTube digest Trews (scroll down to watch the video). "Who in that situation was behaving like a terrorist, using bullying, intimidation? Sean Hannerty. That is where the terrorism is coming from."

He added: "There’s no objective terrorism, there’s just different perspectives of violence. No-one should be using violence, but if you’re going to judge violence pejoratively and negatively, and God knows we all should, then the people that are doing the most and the most effective violence surely are committing the greater crime?"

Brand’s critique of Hannity’s segment, named "Sympathy For The Terrorists", wasn’t always so eloquent, however.

He also quipped: "I don't mean to be petty or trivial but Hannity looks like the Ken doll from Toy Story 3."

Of course, this isn't the first time Brand has labelled Fox News "terrorists". In fact, he called the station a "fanatical terrorist propagandist organisation" in a charged rant on Iraq at the end of June.

The three-week Israeli military offensive in Gaza has so far claimed over 1,100 lives, many of which have been civilian. Israel has lost 43, three of which were civilians.

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