A media storm has been brewing for the past 24 hours around statements by journalist Avri Gilad on Channel 13 following the fire at Notre Dame Catherdral, that he does not believe the Europeans and thinks it was a Muslim act.
This Tuesday morning he made it clear on 103FM that he was unmoved by the criticism and is mindful that by tomorrow his story would no longer be relevant.
"I'm in and out of the lynching tree at times, I'm used to it. It's borderline boring and entertaining. All the automatic and usual recitations. I think I said simple, reasonable, and plausible things. The fact that everyone's shocked is because we're in the intermediate days of Passover and there's nothing else to talk about. An article spread over two pages after my statement isn't because I have so much power."
The same people who call on us to be skeptical about everything can't cope with Avriel Gilad's skepticism. These are the same journalists who hold conferences in Beit Sokolov on the end of democracy and the violation of freedom of speech. The same journalists attack Avri Gilad now even though he has something to base his words on. Did it irritate you?
"That's the duplicity of my colleagues. If these people's predictions ever came true it would be one thing..."
Oshrat Kotler expressed herself and they attacked her on the Internet and called for her dismissal. It was actually the right-wing journalists who came to her defense. I didn't hear any journalist on the Right calling to fire her. Here the journalists join the lynch and come out with a psychological and emotional diagnosis of Avri Gilad.
"Since I'm not on the networks, I'm not familiar with the subject. I'm not on Twitter and don't get into this whole thing. I know that tomorrow my story won't be, it'll pass. In fact, a fine reporter sat across me and I told her that neither she nor I knew what happened because the Europeans and the French were lying about everything connected to harm that's done to them. It's happening in all European countries - it's forbidden to report truth by law. I said I think there's a situation where Muslims are involved only because 47 churches were damaged this month, including the Notre Dame Cathedral. Then in Europe they deny the fact that they're being eviscerated, their culture and religion are being destroyed and they're busy singing elegies."
Finally, it is more difficult to move from Left to Right or Right to Left?
"I didn't move from Left to Right so I don't know."
Do you feel loathing towards you?
"They can all jump in a lake. When passing from Left to Right, the fellow artists hate you and their tongues are sharpened and venomous, while the people send me messages of support. Because lately I've cut myself off from the way they think so I don't care what they say about me. I feel the worse they talk about me, the more I'm right. As soon as it ends up in a conversation with the CEO with him saying he can't stand the pressure, then it'll be a matter of what's good for the company, but beyond that - there's no problem."