"Would Ajmal Kasab Be Considered?": Israel Envoy Expresses Disappointment Over The Hindu's Interview Of Hamas Leader

Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan wrote to the Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, Suresh Nambath on Tuesday (31 October) expressing disappointment for publishing the interview of Moussa Abu Marzuk in Frontline.

Mazruk heads Hamas’ international relations office based in Doha, Qatar. Calling "the choice of interviewee sickening", the open letter asked would "Ajmal Kasab from Lashkar-e-Taiba explaining his 'rational' for the Mumbai attacks" be considered for an interview.

A similar question was asked about the likelihood of interviewing Osama Bin Laden after 9/11 in the letter. Calling Mazruk a "controversial figure", Gilon said, "he is a known terrorist with gallons of Israeli blood on his hands".

He further asked the publication to ensure that the amplification of such voices do not contribute to the promotion of violence and terror. He also pointed out that the "lack of fact-checking and follow-up questions during the interview was appalling."

Describing the interview as full of "blatant lies and defamation", Gilon said that it "undermines the credibility of the publication." Calling it "a manifesto of a terrorist", he also expressed concern about the risk of radicalising through "pseudo-facts".

He concluded the letter by calling the interview "shameful" and raised doubts about "journalistic standards and ethical considerations". He hoped The Hindu would conduct "Future interviews with rigour and integrity."