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Author and Guardian columnist Mr Jones said he had a friend whose family had been directly affected by the attack on Israel over the weekend.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThere\u2019s no cause on earth that justifies the slaughter of innocent civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Mr Jones added what he called the \u201cfar-right\u201d Israeli government was using the \u201clanguage of war crimes\u201d when it came to its response which he said was \u201cimposing collective punishment\u201d on Gaza for the actions of Hamas.<\/p>\n
Dame Hodge, who is Jewish born to refugee parents fleeing World War 2, at this point, tried to speak, but Mr Jones said: \u201cI\u2019ve let you speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commentator continued his monologue calling Gaza an \u201copen-air prison\u201d.<\/p>\n
Dame Hodge said: \u201cBut you\u2019re not acknowledging Owen, I tell you what I can\u2019t stand is that you\u2019re using the horrors that we\u2019ve experienced in the last three days to bang the drum about an issue that you\u2019ve been banging the drum about forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dame Hodge said Mr Jones should \u201creally think about\u201d the people of Israel \u201cwho have nowhere else to go\u201d.<\/p>\n
Both panellists locked eyes, at this point, with Mr Owen, 39, addressing 79-year-old Dame Hodge saying \u201cPalestinian children, whose lives are as sacred as a child in Israel, are being slaughtered, they are dying\u201d.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n He continued his speech saying there needed to a policy of ending the \u201coccupation\u201d and the policy of \u201capartheid\u201d on Palestinian civilians.<\/p>\n Managing to keep her cool, Dame Hodge reminded the studio that she did not know if people she had visited recently in Israel were still alive.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cAll I would say is that Owen is completely and utterly ignoring what has happened over the last few days<\/p>\n \u201cAll you\u2019ve talked about Owen is your obsession, the obsession with so many people, around the issue around Palestine, it\u2019s been an obsession forever and you should just think at the moment if you were an Israeli sitting there, if you had family, I mean here I am sitting here, and people I visited, I don\u2019t know how may of them are still alive.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying they have no right to defend themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n Dame Hodge added that she had never supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government, but she asked Mr Owen if he even condemned the attacks by Hamas, \u201cdo you even condemn it?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Mr Owen said he had said in the \u201cstrongest possible terms\u201d that he condemned the actions of Hamas.<\/p>\n The temperature of the debate quickly heated up with Dame Hodge saying: \u201cYou don\u2019t think they have the right to defend the State of Israel?\u201d as Mr Owen repeatedly mentioned the military attacks on Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n As things threatened to descend into an argument, Sky\u2019s Sophy Ridge was forced to interject.<\/p>\n Raising her voice Ms Ridge said: \u201cI\u2019m going to come in, thank you both of you for speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n An animated Mr Jones moved an arm up and down blurting out: \u201cWe have to talk about the Palestinians being killed now.\u201d<\/p>\n Maintaining her composure Ms Ridge continued undaunted saying \u201cNo, no, Owen, Owen.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, it\u2019s my programme, Owen.\u201d<\/p>\n Still trying to carry on, Mr Jones conceded \u201cI get that\u201d but despite being asked to relent he continued saying \u201cto say it\u2019s an obsession with Palestine when we are talking about Palestinian civilians who are being killed right now\u201d.<\/p>\n Both Ms Ridge and Margaret Hodge turned away rolling their eyes as it became clear Mr Jones could not seem to stop himself.<\/p>\n Holding up her hand Ms Ridge said: \u201cThank you for coming on the programme and having a debate. Look, it is, I utterly accept that with babies, children, dying\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Owen again interrupts, barracking the female journalist saying \u201cboth, they both matter the same\u201d before his comments trail off out of shot of the camera which focuses on Ms Ridge.<\/p>\n The presenter ended the heated segment by addressing the camera directly, saying: \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty clear that with babies and children dying emotions are running extremely high and I actually think that this just demonstrates, the emotion that people are feeling, the anger that people are feeling now.\u201d<\/p>\n
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