Al-Jazeera TV Host Faisal Al-Qassem: Prisoners Are Treated Better by Israel Than by Syrian Regime

Al-Jazeera TV host Faisal Al-Qassem held up a photograph of Samir Quntar, who "left the Israeli prison with a potbelly and a Ph.D.," next to a photo of an emaciated Syrian detainee. Bashar Al-Assad should "treat the Syrian prisoners and detainees the same way Israel treats its enemies in its prisons," he said. His comments aired on February 14.

Faisal Al-Qassem: "This is a picture of Samir Quntar, walking out of an Israeli prison. He left the Israeli prison with a potbelly and a Ph.D. Next to him is a picture of a Syrian detainee, after leaving one of Assad's prisons. Note the difference! Note the difference! I am not defending Israeli prisons, but unfortunately, this is how it is. People are saying: 'Oh Bashar Al-Asaad, oh Ba'ath Party, treat the Syrian prisoners and detainees the same way Israel treats its enemies in its prisons, like Samir Quntar and others.'"

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