Complaint
During an interview with a representative of the Union of Jewish Students, the programme’s presenter equated being anti-Zionist with being opposed to the existence of the state of Israel. A listener complained this was inaccurate and controversial, as there were those who supported the state of Israel but were nevertheless opposed to Zionism. The ECU considered whether the remark met the required standards of accuracy and impartiality set out in the Guidelines.
Outcome
The presenter had asked the interviewee how he would distinguish between legitimate opposition to the actions of the Israeli government, opposition to the existence of the state of Israel (which he termed “anti-Zionist”) and antisemitism. While recognising that there was a variety of viewpoints among those who regard themselves as anti-Zionist, the ECU would not expect those distinctions to be captured in an interviewer’s question in this context, and did not regard the interviewer’s use of the term in the sense in which he defined it as materially misleading to listeners.
Not Upheld
