20 April 2007
The editor of the British newspaper “The Guardian” and Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom have criticized a journalist union's call for the boycott Israeli goods. Ambassador Zvi Heifetz accused the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) of "petty, one-sided politics.” Alan Rusbridger, the “Guardian” editor-in-chief, called the union’s motion "misguided". He told the Israel newspaper “Ha’aretz”: "The Guardian disapproves of these kinds of boycotts and does not think they serve a useful purpose."
"It is a shame that an organization which represents journalists and the principles of balance and impartiality would move to boycott Israeli goods," Heifetz said. He also questioned the union's timing as the Israeli-Palestinian peace process appeared to be moving forward again now following years of stagnation.
The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Israel, representing nearly 500 journalists based in the country, also condemned the NUJ call. In a statement is said: “The FPA believes such a resolution runs counter to the core journalistic values which we are here to uphold and defend, namely objectivity and balance. The FPA is made up of professional journalists who cover this story on a daily basis, and we reject any resolution that so clearly takes sides. At an ethical level we do not feel it is appropriate for a body representing journalists to take such positions.”
The FPA also criticized the British union for not mentioning the plight of Alan Johnston, a BBC correspondent kidnapped in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants more than a month ago.
At the NUJ’s conference last week a resolution was adopted by 66 to 54 votes that read: “This annual delegate meeting calls for a boycott of Israeli goods similar to those boycotts in the struggles against apartheid South Africa led by trade unions and the Trades Union Congress to demand sanctions be imposed on Israel by the British government and the United Nations.” NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear told the news agency AFP that the motion — which was opposed by the NUJ leadership — did not mean the union itself had to boycott Israeli goods.
