Controversial Israel correspondent of the BBC to receive Order of the British Empire

Britain's decision to decorate a BBC reporter with the Order of the British Empire has raised eyebrows in Israel. Orla Guerin, an Irish-born correspondent of the BBC in Israel, will be receive the title MBE this week. Israeli officials who long maintained that Guerin's coverage of the Middle East conflict favors the Palestinians and fosters anti-Semitism abroad. "It is very sad that something as important as anti-Semitism is not taken into consideration when issuing this award, especially in Britain where the incidence of anti-Semitism is on the rise," Minister for Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky told the "Jerusalem Post". The BBC did not comment on the allegations of bias.