LONDON: A heated political debate live on Lebanese TV on Thursday evening spiraled into a full-blown, profanity-laden fistfight between journalist Simon Abu Fadel and former environment minister Wiam Wahab.
Abu Fadel and Wahab were guests on MTV channel’s show “It’s Time”, to discuss whether politicians should be penalized if found guilty of obstructing the presidential election.
The argument soon turned into a physical fight after Wahab smashed a glass of water on the table, with people from the audience intervening immediately.
Social media commentators have criticized the TV Channel management for not preventing the violence, and accused presenter Marcel Ghanem of habitually provoking his show’s guests and pitting them against each other.
Ralph Nader questioned MTV for sharing footage of the fight on Twitter, saying the channel should improve its choice of guests or go on holiday this summer because “the country needs some chill time, not punches and kicks.”
شهد استديو "صار الوقت" عراكاً بالأيدي بين رئيس حزب التوحيد العربي وئام وهاب والصحافي سيمون أبو فاضل.#mtvlebanon #mtvlebanonnews #صار_الوقت pic.twitter.com/dbXRRyNJ5Z
— MTV Lebanon (@MTVLebanon) July 20, 2023
Youssef El-Sabeh accused MTV of being “obsessed with generating views.” Addressing the outlet, he added: “You have no respect for people and their feelings during this difficult time and serious crisis! How could you move forward with the episode as if nothing has happened?”
He also suggested that Ghanem ends the show on his own because his “dialogue would start a war in the country.”
Another Twitter user wrote: “Unfortunately, this show has become a platform that hosts a certain kind of guests to provoke them — no more, no less.
“Even the guests are hardly allowed to voice their opinions. Marcel constantly interrupts and provokes (his) guests. Unfortunately, it has been long since we last watched the show. It has drastically changed for the worse.”
Mohamad Chatila said on Twitter that “what happened yesterday during the show, It’s Time, is shameful and disgraceful. It reflects the hatred and tension that can explode at any moment between Lebanese people.”
