Eamonn Holmes waded into the current conflict unfolding in the Middle East on Monday morning as he shared his thoughts on the subsequent protests and attacks that have occurred across the world as a result.
It's been over a week since the terrorist group Hamas unleashed a deadly attack on Israel, killing hundreds and capturing 150 more as hostages, resulting in the country fighting back with airstrikes and cutting off energy supplies to Gaza.
The conflict has sparked fears the entire Middle East on the "verge of abyss" while pro-Palestine demonstrations in London resulted in ugly scenes.
One protestor wielding an Israeli flag in the capital was even "threatened with beheading" by rival demonstrators over the weekend while Jewish schools have shut their doors in fear of anti-Semitic attacks.
On Monday morning, Eamonn and Isabel Webster heard from Israeli guest Arad Haggai who's been living in the UK for over a decade and a half.
Haggai has elderly family members - his aunt and uncle - currently missing in Israel following Hamas' attacks on civilians, leaving him in the dark as to their whereabouts or wellbeing.
"They just went for a walk as usual at about half six, (then) at about 6:50, they send a text to the kids, to my cousins, ‘Listen, we're under a rocket attack. We have to find cover’," Haggai explained.
Arad Haggai speaks to Eamonn and Isabel
GB NEWS
He went on: "But everybody, they know the area, it's a flat area. It's very hard to find any kind of (place to) hide. And then after about 10 minutes, (my cousin) sends a text to the kibbutz security guard.
"'Gadi, my uncle got wounded by terrorists. They came with a motorbike from Gaza. He got badly wounded. I'm wounded too. Please send us help.'
"And there's only one ambulance bulletproof in the kibbutz. But one of the first things they did, the terrorists, they just burn the ambulance."
When Eamonn asked if Hamas knew which ambulance to target, Haggai replied: "Probably, (Hamas) knew everything."
The GB News guest went on to explain that a rescue mission is in place with volunteers helping out before Isabel weighed in: "And herein lies the hugely complex resolution toward this because if there is this land invasion, you'll be extremely concerned about your loved ones in case they are in there, in Gaza."
Haggai agreed before reiterating there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the safety of those in Israel, with rumours even emerging his uncle had found a phone.
Eamonn then turned his attention to Haggai's life in the UK amid the conflict, bringing up his daughter's time in school and the antisemitism she's faced.
Haggai revealed: "It's happened a couple of times in the past (and) in the last week again. Anti-Semitism.
"You know last week, 'Oh, I wish your uncle is dead. They're never gonna find him. I wish he's in Gaza, he's dead'," Haggai admitted.
"She's going to a mixed school. We never send them to a Jewish school. Never," Haggai revealed. "She's English. She can be Jewish. Doesn't matter. She's English.
"I'm English now. I'm British even though English is not my mother tongue but I'm English. My wife was born here and there is no reason not to send them to (a mixed) school."
Haggai also revealed other instances of horrific abuse levelled at his daughter while at school, including being called "Anne Frank" and being met with a number of Holocaust references.
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Arad Haggai doesn't know where his aunt and uncle are
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Haggai praised the school for its efforts in combatting the antisemitic attacks before Eamonn waded into the discussion to share his thoughts on the vile abuse.
"But I don't understand, and I was talking about this to some people at the weekend and they asked me this question which I couldn't answer..." Eamonn began.
"I have many Jewish friends and many people - their race, their colour, their creed doesn't matter to me.
"Jewish people are very like Irish people, are very family-orientated and Friday night dinner and all that sort of thing.
"And I just want to know from you... people say to me, 'Why when something happens do people love to hate the Jews?' Understand what I'm saying?"
Haggai understood before revealing his grandmother had warned him of European antisemitism when he was a child.
Eamonn turned to fellow guest James Marlow to ask the same question: "I'd like to ask James the same question and forgive the bluntness of it, but there is an impression that a lot of people don't need much of an excuse to disagree or to, as I put it, hate Jewish people."
Marlow replied: "Look, all you have to do is look on some of the social media platforms. X in particular is just horrendous.
"The hatred. And they're doing exactly, exactly what we've just been told as well. They're laughing at it. They're saying it's not true.
"That no Muslim would ever kill somebody. They're making up to say that it was all lies. And you're seeing this on so many different accounts, you know, Twitter or excuse me, it's now called X, formerly known as Twitter.
"They said that they had taken down hundreds of Hamas accounts. They're not because I know at least seven or eight, which are specifically on behalf of the Hamas organisation and they're still tweeting out stuff.
"And they have a huge following, hundreds of thousands and more joined," he added before Eamonn commented: "Just to make it clear, I mean I understand people say there's maybe indiscriminate bombing of Gaza and whatever. I understand that.
"I understand why for certain situations there would be anger directed towards the Israelis.
"But I just mean in general, there is an underlying current of of anti-Semitism," Eamonn claimed.
The discussion soon drew to a close as Isabel and Eamonn wished Haggai the best of luck in finding his loved ones in such a horrific situation.
