Long associated with Western media orthodoxy, British journalist and media personality host Piers Morgan has recently shifted his tone on Israel’s aggression in Gaza, calling it a “genocide” and the “systematic destruction of an entire population”, and explained this shift during an exclusive interview with Arabian Business on Tuesday.
His current stance marks a stark departure from his earlier position which was sympathetic towards the Israeli agenda and military campaign.
“What they’re doing now is unjustified, unacceptable, probably illegal – and it needs to stop,” he said of the Israeli military campaign.
“Some of the people in that government absolutely are, in their heads, waging a form of genocide – and that is a crime,” Morgan was quoted as saying by Arabian Business.
Israeli aggression has brought destruction in Gaza, killing over 55,000 Palestinians and leaving thousands others injured.
Morgan hosts a show ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ on YouTube with nearly 4 million subscribers. He hosted a variety of voices on his show such as Bassem Youssef, Mehdi Hassan as well as Israeli military officials facing-off about Israel’s aggression in Gaza.
During the interview, Morgan pointed to specifically to recent statements by Israeli government officials, notably Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s declaration that the mission was no longer about self-defence but about removing all Palestinians from Gaza. “Whatever way you want to dress it up – it’s genocide.”
In a 2024 interview with Candace Owens Morgan had said, “I take issue with people who want to frame it as genocide.”
“It’s not just people like me,” Morgan further quoted. “It’s also leaders of some of Israel’s biggest allies – the UK, France, Germany – even former Israeli Prime Ministers now coming out accusing the Israeli government of committing war crimes. This is very serious.”
The ongoing Israeli aggression has destroyed extensive civilian infrastructure and created humanitarian crisis of historic proportions.
Morgan identified early 2024 as his personal turning point. “I just started getting more and more exercised about what I saw as a failure by the Israeli government to achieve its objective,” he said. He added how he saw “no endgame to this war”.
“Trump’s the only one who has the muscle to pull the plug on Netanyahu – and he should,” Morgan further quoted to Arabian Business.
On social media
“Social media has become very toxic, very tribal,” Morgan observes. “People don’t want to hear other views. They don’t want to hear any facts that may go against their side.”
He also added how he responded to criticism. “I’ve got the skin of a thousand rhinoceros,” he declares. “Don’t worry about me. It’s all just water off a duck’s back. I don’t care.”
On Dubai
A recent trip to Dubai for the Arab Media Forum left him visibly impressed with the region’s transformation.
“To be back there after so long and to see just how much has been done since I was there was staggering,” he was quoted as saying.
“The rate of growth… There’s just a real dynamism about the whole Middle East now, which is very infectious with a real can-do mentality, a lot of optimism, a lot of drive, a lot of creative energy.”