Last night on the TV show 60 Minutes, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi was interviewed. When he was asked whether he believed that Six Million Jews were slaughtered in the Shoah, Raisi said, “Historical events should be investigated by researchers and historians.” Less reported but equally heinous was his response to the question of whether Israel had a right to exist. He asserted that “this was the right of the people of Palestine”.
In response Prime Minister Yair Lapid posted graphic images from the Holocaust to his official Twitter account. IDF Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi on Monday slammed Raisi, “You don’t need to be a historian or researcher to understand the horrors of the Holocaust – you need to be human.” Chairman of Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum Dani Dayan labeled Raisi a “vile antisemite” and called his remarks “dangerous and deserve condemnation.”
It goes without saying that Raisi never should have been interviewed on “60 Minutes,” nor should he be a guest on any other media platform. It is clearly an attempt by Raisi to increase his legitimacy as a world leader, something no one but an Islamist could possibly give an ounce of credence. We’re hard pressed to believe that CBS doesn’t know better. It seems they would rather not heed any lessons when it comes to terrorism and that capturing ratings is all that matters. While “60 Minutes” is looking to grab a large audience, their interview with the head of the #1 State Sponsor of Terror has normalized the face of terror. What about the TV commercial sponsors? A strong message could have been sent to CBS if companies declined to sponsor last night’s show. Sadly, that did not happen.
The only good thing that did come out of last night’s show is that last night’s ratings for 60 Minutes were down from its 2021 season premiere. Maybe the public is finally waking up to the truth.