We already knew The Guardian is a platform for virulent antisemitism and anti Zionism – heck, even their music bloggers can’t restrain themselves from airing their anti-Israel views.
Nevertheless, you’d still be forgiven for scratching your head over this latest example picked up by our friends at CiF Watch.
The Guardian’s Editorial Code may not include any prohibition against licensing voices who are openly anti-Semitic, providing a platform to members of a terrorist group, nor legitimizing those who seek the Jewish state’s destruction, but does include the following:
“In general, we do not publish someone’s race or ethnic background or religion unless that information is pertinent to the story. We do not report of the race of criminal suspects unless their ethnic background is part of a description that seeks to identify them or is an important part of the story (for example, if the crime was a hate crime”
Yet, in a 1800 word Guardian report on the London riots, by Paul Lewis, titled, “Tottenham riots: a peaceful protest, then suddenly all hell broke loose, Aug. 8, which doesn’t mention the race, ethnicity, or religion of the rioters, somehow found it pertinent to note that some of those who gathered to jeer police were, allegedly, Hasidic Jews.
“The make-up of the rioters was racially mixed. Most were men or boys, some apparently as young as 10….But families and other local residents, including some from Tottenham’s Hasidic Jewish community, also gathered to watch and jeer at police. [emphasis mine]
So, the rioters – who have torched, ransacked and looted shops, pubs, banks and even residential properties, and have attacked journalists, police, and firefighters for the past three days – are characterized by Lewis as merely “racially mixed”, yet he somehow deems it relevant to note that some of Tottenham’s Hasidic Jewish community were among those who allegedly watched and “jeered” police.
As CiF Watch notes, this represents the only time a particular ethnicity was noted in any context relating to the riots, looters, or onlookers, in the thirteen reports about the London Riots which were either authored or co-authored by Paul Lewis (encompassing over 12,000 words).
About as subtle as a sledgehammer*
Update: There is no evidence Hasidic Jews were involved in the rioting but as this report notes, they did hand out challah (bread) to passing residents. Sounds to me like a nice gesture.
I am not surprised Paul Lewis ommitted this detail in his report, but am surprised he did not mention it as evidence the Hasidic Jews were aiding and abetting the rioters.
* Which is an unfortunately appropriate cliche to be using in connection with this story
