5 things we learnt from Gabor Mate's interview with Piers Morgan

Renowned trauma expert Dr Gabor Mate appeared on Piers Morgan's Uncensored on Tuesday (28 November) where he discussed his upbringing, being a former Zionist, the Hamas-Israel conflict and his one regret from interviewing Prince Harry.

Mate, a Holocaust survivor who has two bestselling books under his belt, is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress and childhood development.

His methods include a combination of scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to help people heal from mental illness and addiction.

Here are five things we learned from the discussion:

Israel-Hamas War: Gabor Mate vs Piers Morgan On Palestine and Gaza | The Full Interviewwww.youtube.com

The one 'regret' from his interview with Prince Harry

In March, Mate sat down with Harry, where he lifted the lid on growing up as a royal. The live interview cost £26 ($33) to watch.

Mate acknowledged that while he didn't regret the interview, there was one aspect he wasn't too fond of.

"It was a great discussion," he told Morgan. "I really enjoyed meeting Harry."

"I found him to be humble and sincere and genuinely interested in promoting mental health and looking at the trauma that underlies people's mental health issues."

However, Mate said the interview was "put behind a paywall" so, only people who had purchased Harry's memoir could access it.

He said: "I did not regret doing the interview. I enjoyed it and thought it was a really good conversation between two people. Two flawed people who were willing to look at their flaws.

"So I'm glad I did it but in that perspective, I would not agree to it unless it was aired freely for the whole world to see."

Mate said that Harry agreed, but lawyers told them they would be "slapped with a cash action suit" if they released it publicly.

Mate's 'overall assessment' of where the war is heading

When asked about his observation on the ongoing war, Mate said the "historical context" needs to be considered.

Mate, a Holocaust survivor and someone who "used to be a Zionist," said Zionism used to be important to him as a "salvation of Jewish people."

That's until he "found out that the state was founded based on the extrication and multiple massacres of the local population – and that's not historically controversial."

He went on to say that the "present situation" cannot be understood without the historical context and that no one can move forward until "the present occupation and the suppression of the Palestinians continue."

'Israel has a right to defend itself – but doesn't have a right to impose an occupation on people'

Mate delved into his background, being born in Hungary where he became a refugee and moved to Canada.

He suggested that when it comes to speaking about Israel's right to defend itself, people are taking "isolated Palestinian actions, but we're not saying this population also has a right to defend against occupation".

Mate said he is not justifying the terrible Hamas attack on 7 October, but he's "talking in the absence of historical awareness. It all just looks like Israel defending itself."

He continued: "Unless we know the [historical context], it all just looks like this poor little country trying to defend itself – but against whom?"

He urged Morgan to go and see the 'occupation' for himself

"Piers, you have to go [to Gaza] and see it for yourself, as I have," Mate said. "You would cry every day for two weeks as well."

Morgan responded by saying he was under no illusion of what the Palestinian people have had to endure, and called the oppression "shameful".

He said what he does find "disgusting" is the scale of the 7 October attacks.

The only way to find peace is to follow international law

Mate was asked how he believed the war could come to a peaceful resolution.

He highlighted that the "basis of any future agreement" is to follow international law. Mate went on to say the "minimum condition is the ending of the occupation and the inhumane siege of Gaza."

"The international law should be respected and is very clear that this occupation is illegal," he said. "If Israel could live in the borders that are internationally recognised, I believe peace is possible."

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.