BEIRUT: The brawl that erupted on air Thursday night between a former minister and a journalist sparked widespread condemnation on Friday across Lebanon.
The talk show, “Sar El-Wa’et” (It’s About Time) on MTV hosted by Marcel Ghanem, brought together former government minister Wiam Wahab, known for his close ties to Hezbollah and its allies, and journalist Simon Abou Fadel, whose stances are often aligned with the Lebanese Forces party.
The dispute began when the discussion turned to US sanctions imposed on Wahab, and escalated when Abou Fadel remarked that “the US disciplines the Lebanese.”
Wahab then assaulted Abou Fadel, and Wahab’s bodyguards also intervened. Abou Fadel fell to the ground, being continuously hit until the broadcast was cut off.
Lebanese Armed Forces personnel arrived at the station’s premises to take control of the situation. The broadcast later resumed, and Wahab apologized on air before he was asked to leave by Ghanem.
Abou Fadel reappeared with bruises on his face and mouth, and said into a camera: “What happened to me just a while ago is nothing but a part of what has happened to some honorable people who paid the price for their stances.”
He then mentioned political figures including the Lebanese Forces party leader, Samir Geagea, “who was imprisoned because of his stances.”
A source from the journalists’ syndicate in Lebanon told Arab News: “Both Wahab and Abou Fadel are members of the journalist community. Wahab was a journalist before becoming a minister. What happened is disgraceful to our profession and to the freedom of expression that we advocate for. It deviated from the norms of political discourse. It is necessary to refer both individuals to the disciplinary council.”
انتوا كل همكن المشاهدات و ما عندكن احترام للناس و مشاعرها بظل هالوقت الصعب و الأزمة الخطيرة! كيف هيك بتكملوا الحلقة ولا كأنو شي صار! كملها لحالك مارسيل لأن حوارك رح يفتح جبهة عالبلد!
حوار بمستوى الصرامي— Youssef El Sabeh (@Joe007sabeh) July 20, 2023
The syndicate issued a statement calling on journalists to “exercise the utmost wisdom and discretion when participating in talk shows.” It said the incident was “shocking and embarrassing” to the Lebanese public and the country’s media, and that the incident was “not the first of (its) kind on television screens in Lebanon and abroad.”
However, the syndicate pointed out that this particular incident highlights Lebanon’s urgent need to break free from the suffocating atmosphere prevailing in the country.
Dr. Ragheb Jaber, a journalism professor at the Lebanese University, said he believed that some TV shows in Lebanon and other Arab countries intentionally provoke conflicts that may lead to physical confrontations in pursuit of higher ratings.
Jaber said the recent brawl reflects the sharp divisions and tensions dominating the political life in Lebanon, especially since this particular talk show brought together two highly polarizing figures, igniting the fight.
He added that these two figures represent the extreme views of their respective political factions and their encounter was bound to lead to confrontation, a fact that the show’s host should have taken seriously. Jaber said political and even social shows have started to teeter on the brink.
“They deliberately provoke guests against each other, unfortunately, finding an audience that enjoys this kind of programming, where shouting and even clashes prevail.”
He added that in Lebanon, disagreements quickly turn into sectarian and denominational disputes, as the figures usually invited to such talk shows represent sectarian forces rather than themselves.
“These forces cling to their blocs, hindering any political solution. What was witnessed on television (on Thursday) was a distressing and damaging scene for the image of the media, democracy, and freedom of expression. We have reached a stage where no one can tolerate the other anymore,” Jaber said.
The aftermath of what happened resulted in a dispute between Wahab and the Lebanese Kataeb Party, which supported Abou Fadel.
A Kataeb press release called what happened to Abou Fadel a “brutal and savage attack, live on air, against a journalist expressing his opinion, and it falls under the category of militia-like and thuggish behavior.”
The Arab Unification Party, led by Wahab, claimed in a statement that Abou Fadel was prepped in advance for the episode, and the show’s producer knew that Wahab had refused to engage with him, noting that Wahab was scheduled to speak for 15 minutes and then leave.
The Lebanese Forces party said that political discourse has reached its limits, and the physical assault on Abou Fadel reflected an attitude that in place of dialogue, some feel political perspectives can legitimately be forced on the Lebanese people. Several MPs expressed their solidarity with Abou Fadel. The Catholic Media Center also took a stance, with its director, Father Abdo Abou Kassem, saying that Lebanon “is characterized by freedom of the press and freedom of expression.”
He called for “a return to respectful political dialogues to preserve what distinguishes Lebanon in terms of authenticity and respect for freedoms.”
