03 May 2007
Journalists at Britain's ‘Independent Television Network’ (ITN) have joined their BBC colleagues in calling for a new vote on the decision by a journalists' union to boycott Israeli goods. This week, more than 220 BBC employees sent a letter to the National Union of Journalists stating"We call on the union to hold a ballot of all members to see whether they support the view... on an issue which could have a profound effect on the way all British journalists are viewed at home and abroad".
On Tuesday, several dozen journalists from ITN, Britain's largest independent television broadcaster, added their signatures to the letter, which was published at the anti-Semitism discussion forum ‘Engage’. In April, 150 delegates at the union's annual meeting voted by a slim margin to urge members to boycott Israeli goods. Jewish groups and media organizations such as the ‘Guardian’ newspaper denounced the move as counter to journalistic ideals of impartiality. The union has more than 39,000 members. Petitioners said a new vote is needed in part because of the small percentage of members on hand for the first vote.
