Those Wacky Zionists

So much for al Manar.

France's highest administrative court has banned a TV station on the grounds that it is inciting racial hatred.

The Council of State ordered France-based satellite company Eutelsat to stop transmitting Lebanese station al-Manar within 48 hours.

Well, the proprietors of al Manar must have had a logical explanation for such an action from the French government. Right?

Al-Manar issued a statement claiming the ban was the result of Israeli pressure "following a political campaign by the Zionist lobby".

Uh... Right. And what caused the French government to take such harsh action against a peaceful, benevolent television program?

The court cited a 23 November broadcast in which a speaker accused Israel of deliberately disseminating Aids in Arab nations.

So al Manar claims that the Israelis are disseminating AIDS in Arab countries, and their being kicked off the air is suddenly the result of some Zionist conspiracy? You'll excuse me if I take that particular accusation with a grain of salt. This all makes me wonder who's behind this moderate, tolerant, fair and balanced Arab television.

The station, backed by the Lebanon's Iranian-sponsored Islamist movement Hezbollah, can be beamed to France on at least two non-French satellites, over which the court has no jurisdiction.

Hezbollah, huh? Moderate, indeed.