Daphne Anson has another very good article exposing the transformation of the Jewish Chronicle that I have also blogged about recently. Rapidly the JC is morphing into a Guardian look-alike, with its increasingly central contributions from anti-Zionists.
Daphne's article highlights the fact that Nicholas Saphir, the Chair of the anti-Zionist New Israel Fund (UK), is a trustee of the Kessler Foundation, which owns the Jewish Chronicle. Last week the New Israel Fund had a 4-page pullout in the JC, and rarely a week goes by nowadays without some major positive focus/article about the NIF.
Today's JC confirms the trend towards the JC's antipathy/indifference toward Israel. Forget the week's barrage of rocket attacks from Gaza or the many stories this week confirming the existential threats against Israel (not a mention anywhere in the paper). Forget even the incredible revelation this week that Henry Kissinger, when he was Sectretary of State in the US in 1973, stated that he could not care less if the Russians gassed all the Jews left in Russia (and that he would certainly not allow the US to intervene if they did so). That fails to get a mention either. No, the big front page story is a rather sympathetic account of a senior editor of the Board of Deputies urging the Board to invite PA envoy Manuel Hassassian to address the Board. What the story of course fails to tell readers is that Hassassian is nothing other than a terrorist supporting liar as revealed clearly by Elder of Zyon.
Digging deeper into the paper things do not get any better. There is a near full page article by Orlando Radice arguing that the real extremists we have to worry about are the Jewish ones. And the letters page has two letters responding to the comments of Isi Liebler (who had had the audacity to criticise 'we must speak out against Israel' UJIA boss Mick Davis). Naturally, both letters are indignant at Isi trying to crush Davis's right to free speech. The only pro-Israel piece in the paper is the regular column by Geoffrey Alderman, but even he is forced on the defensive and no doubt will take the usual flak in next week's letters page.
5 comments:
Great post, as usual, Edgar - your blog is a real gem.
I have it in mind that Saphir might be chairman of trustees of the Kessler Foundation, but I've failed to confirm this hunch.
Here's a JC interview with him a few years ago:
http://archive.thejc.com/search/reml.jsp?etaf=8041-1292502548103
Thanks Edgar and Daphne for highlighting the rubbish that calls itself the JC and the links it has with the NIF.
This newspaper really is responsible for dumbing down British Jews.
It started long before Pollard took over, and always finds space for the Israel haters. They justify this by claiming to be neutral and giving space to all views.
As the internet takes over from hardprint as a news source, they are becoming merely a directory for kosher caterers, wedding bands and other simcha businesses.
Michelle said:
"They justify this by claiming to be neutral and giving space to all views."
Yes it always amuses me that the 'sole' paper of British Jewry feels it has to provide so much space for anti-Israel views. As if such views are given no space anywhere else. It's a bit like buying a Spurs calandar and finding 4 of the 12 pictures of Arsenal players 'in order to provide balance'.
I created JCWatch in March 2010 to combat anti-Israeli sentiments in the Jewish Chronicle. I've had a few successes, but obviously not enough.
On 25 December (last Shabbat) a resident anti-semite who signs his name "clevenson" wrote: "I am going to burn the Israeli flag" and "Israel is hated as you will find out on Monday".
On Saturday night JCWatch published a headline that was very insulting indeed to JC Editor Pollard. By Sunday noon, clevenson's remarks had been deleted.
Unfortunately, it's the only language Pollard understands.
Please keep up your good work. Slowly, it produces results.
Avraham Reiss - Jerusalem
http://jcwatch.wordpress.com/
Avraham
Thanks for letting me know about JC Watch. I've never followed the JC blogs. There is enough anti-Israel content in the main paper to worry about. The dry-bones cartoon on your web page - about JStreet and the New Israel Fund - hits the nail on the head; and of course the JC continues to refer to both organisations as "pro-Israel" even referring to JStreet as a pro-Israel lobby group, when it is exactly the opposite.
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