UK: BBC rejects antisemitsm complains after reporter blames Israel for European antisemitism

A BBC interviewer justified terrorism against Jews by invoking Israel:

“We have to not to be afraid to say that the Jews, they are the target now,” she said.

The interviewer, Tom Willcox, interjected: “Many critics, though, of Israel’s policy would suggest that the Palestinians suffered hugely at Jewish hands as well.”

The flustered Chava proceeded to say that the two should not be conflated, when Willcox continued: “But you understand, everything is seen from different perspectives?”

The BBC cannot see what's wrong with that.   After all, Wilcox just quoted "many critics" and it is "factually based".  It is indeed a fact that many antisemites justify antisemitism by invoking Israel. 

Via Guardian:

The BBC’s governing body has rejected complaints about a BBC News interview in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in which the presenter said Palestinians “suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well”.

The live interview conducted by the BBC’s Tim Willcox with an Israeli-born Jewish woman was accused of being antisemitic and offensive after she was asked: “Many critics though of Israel’s policy would suggest that the Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well.”

Critics included historian Simon Schama who described the interview as “appalling”.

(...)

The BBC Trust, in its ruling published on Thursday, described Willcox’s question as “clumsy” but rejected the complaints that it breached the BBC’s editorial guidelines.

It said it was not the presenter’s opinion but had been “clearly attributed to critics of Israel” and was “factually based”.

The interviewee had not made a formal complaint, it said, and there was “no evidence from the broadcast interview that she was surprised, upset, bewildered or offended by the exchange”.

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