Columnists quit Jewish Chronicle over fabricated Gaza, Hamas stories
5 Min Read
David Baddiel and Jonathan Freedland are among those who resigned over publications by former IOF member Elon Perry.
-
Israeli occupation forces inside the Gaza Strip on January 1, 2024 (AFP)
Several prominent columnists have resigned from the Jewish Chronicle in protest after the paper published articles based on what they called "wild fabrications".
The Jewish Chronicle, the oldest Jewish newspaper in the world, is under pressure to investigate after removing nine articles by Elon Perry due to concerns about their accuracy and discrepancies in his CV.
The articles, written by Perry, a former IOF member, reportedly included fabricated claims about Israeli intelligence. The newspaper stated on Friday that it was unsatisfied with some of Perry's assertions, leading to the removal of his work.
The statement said that Perry's stories were removed and all associations had ended with the author, citing that it "deeply regrets the chain of events that led to this point. We apologize to our loyal readers and have reviewed our internal processes so that this will not be repeated.”
Four of the paper's most prominent columnists, David Baddiel, Jonathan Freedland, David Aaronovitch, and Hadley Freeman, announced their resignation in protest of the controversy.
In a letter to the editor, Jake Wallis Simons, posted on X, Freedland stated that he was leaving the daily to which he had written for 26 years and for which his father had begun writing in 1951.
Freedland, a writer and podcaster for The Guardian, wrote that "the latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper – publishing fabricated stories and showing only the thinnest form of contrition – but it is only the latest. Too often, the JC [Jewish Chronicle] reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgments political rather than journalistic.”
He noted that mistakes may happen in all newspapers but cited that real accountability will not take place in this case "because the JC is owned by a person or people who refuse to reveal themselves. As you know, I and others have long urged transparency, making that case to you privately – but nothing has happened.”
Aaronovitch retweeted Freedland's words, writing, "I have done the same." Baddiel retweeted Freedland's message.
In a second piece, Freeman, a Sunday Times journalist, stated that recent events at the Jewish Chronicle had "made it impossible for me to stay."
Nazir Afzal, a former chief prosecutor for north-west England and a former member of the independent press regulator Ipso, expressed "great dismay" at the situation. He wrote on X that he believed "a 'standards investigation' is overdue."
Perry’s articles claimed to provide detailed accounts of Israeli operations and intelligence regarding Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, something debunked by the Israeli press, which labeled them "wild fabrications" intended to bolster Benjamin Netanyahu’s negotiating position over Gaza.
Perry wrote in the JC that there was intelligence indicating Sinwar planned to escape to Iran with captives.
Perry’s background, including his alleged journalism and academic work, as well as parts of his military record, were questioned by the Israeli press.
He told the Observer that deleting his articles was a "huge mistake" and attributed the criticism to a “witch-hunt … caused by jealousy from Israeli journalists and outlets who could not obtain the details that I managed to.”
Questions about the JC’s ownership have arisen, with former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger suggesting it is backed by a billionaire American, a claim the billionaire has denied.
Documents attributed to Hamas by Jewish Chronicle, Bild forged: Ynet
Documents allegedly leaked from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's computer, which appeared to outline plans for transferring Israeli captives out of Gaza, were forged, the Israeli news website Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
The outlet cited Israeli military officials as saying that the documents were leaked as part of a campaign to manipulate public opinion by suggesting that the Hamas movement and Sinwar were disinterested in reaching a ceasefire agreement.
The UK's Jewish Chronicle and Germany's Bild both utilized the forged documents in their reporting.
The Jewish Chronicle alleged that these documents, reportedly seized by the Israeli military on August 29, detailed a plan to smuggle captives from Gaza to Egypt via the tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor, eventually transferring them to Iran. It further claimed that Sinwar was behind the plot and had plans for his own escape.
Yedioth Ahronoth, however, clarified that the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate had no knowledge of the documents referenced by the Jewish Chronicle.
“Neither the document, nor the narrative attributed to Sinwar, who suddenly decided to escape, are known to anyone in Israel,” the news website quoted military sources as saying.
Bild reported on a document allegedly presented by a mid-ranking Hamas official, but Yedioth Ahronoth asserts that while the document itself exists, the quote used by the German outlet, which purportedly indicates Hamas' lack of interest in a deal with "Israel", was fabricated.
Both reports follow statements made by Netanyahu early this month, where he reaffirmed that the Israeli military would not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, adding that such a move would enable Hamas to transfer captives out of the Gaza Strip.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, these falsified documents have caused "great concern and anger in the security establishment, and it is assumed that it will heighten the tensions between them and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his men."
