18 January 2008
The largest French public television network ‘France2’, has apologized after one of its correspondents said that George Bush’s statement on the Jewish nature of the State of Israel was “slanted.” The head of the broadcaster’s news department, Arlette Chabot, wrote a letter to Richard Prasquier, president of the umbrella group of Jewish organizations in France (CRIF), apologizing and saying that the journalist should have make clear that the criticism came from Palestinian leaders. CRIF had complained and asked for an "unequivocal" reaction from France2 concerning what it called an "extremely serious statement."
In her letter, Chabot says: "I have read the CRIF communication about the commentary of president Bush’s visit to Israel broadcast on the evening news program on Wednesday 9 January. You focus on the journalist’s expression "semantic slant", when discussing the US president talking about "the security of Israel as a Jewish state". Philippe Rochot’s wording should have been different, to make it clear that this criticism came from Palestinian leaders. Rochot is a very experienced journalist. He was uncharacteristically tactless on that occasion, but had absolutely no intention of being dishonest. In order to avoid any misunderstanding, I would like to apologize and assure you that your comments have been understood and accepted." Chabot’s letter was in response to a CRIF statement entitled "Israel is the Jewish state”, pointing out that the notion of a Jewish state was included in the 1947 United Nations vote that led to the creation of the State of Israel.
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