Channel 4 has finally spoken out amid the uproar demanding Rachel Riley’s dismissal over her controversial tweet.
The Countdown star found herself in hot water for a message posted on X that many slammed as Islamophobic, where she linked the tragic Sydney mall stabbings to a “globalised Intifada”.
The term ‘Intifada’ holds significant weight, typically referring to the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli rule, but Riley’s tweet suggested a broader, more violent connotation.
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The horrific incident at the Sydney mall resulted in six fatalities and was perpetrated by Joel Cauchi, a 40 year old from Queensland. Authorities have emphasised that Cauchi’s actions were driven by mental health issues, not political motives related to Palestine.
(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Rachel’s social media post, which she has since removed, faced immediate backlash: She wrote: “For 6 months now, people have been out on our streets proudly calling for the ‘Intifada Revolution. If you want to know what ‘Globalised Intifada’ looks like, see the Sydney Mall. 5 victims stabbed to death and 8 transferred to hospital, including a baby, due to one man and a knife.”
She further compared the violence to the second intifada, stating: “In the second intifada over 1,000 Israelis were murdered in restaurants, on buses and in the streets by suicide bombings, stabbings, stoning, lynching, shooting rockets. The youngest victim was just 9 hours old. Sydney mall, multiple times over is what they’ve been proudly calling for.”, reports the Mirror.
(Image: Channel 4)
A spokesperson for Channel 4 told MailOnline: “We have reminded Rachel of her obligations as a contributor to Channel 4 programming.” Later that day, Riley posted an apology over her tweet although she said her original message had been “misunderstood”.
She wrote:. “Just to clarify, my intention with this tweet was not to say this attack was caused by any ideation or to link it to Islamic extremism. At the time we did not know who the attacker was, and as such I made no reference. My aim was to highlight the weekly calls for “intifada” being tolerated in London and around the world, which in actuality means violence on our streets.
(Image: Channel 4)
“For six months now, I have avoided taking the Tube, or going with my kids to anywhere near the marches each Saturday, and each week we see the extremist chants on proud display with little outcry. Sadly, the type of attack seen in Sydney yesterday is exactly the kind of violence the previous intifada involved and I hope to avoid in future, but in my opinion ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.
“Attacks on Jews have recently become repackaged as ‘resistance’ in some circles, and we should in one voice condemn all acts of violence, whoever the perpetrators and whoever the victims. I am sorry if this message was misunderstood, that was not my intention.” In 2023 Rachel was awarded an MBE for services to Holocaust education.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
