With typical insensitivity the BBC has plonked - of all people - Tim Willcox in the anchor’s chair to narrate the funerals of the Jews murdered in the kosher deli - “live, from Jerusalem.”
I am certain I heard him the other day saying, with reference to the recent exodus of French Jews, “they went back to Israel.”
Meaning what? Back? Back from whence they came, perchance? They’re French, you oaf! ( Or “back” to someone else’s land as most of the media would have us believe) Make up your tiny mind, merci beaucoup.
He’s providing context: “The families asked for their loved-ones to be buried in Israel”. Well, not really. It took Yolande Knell - of all people - on the spot in Israel, to put him right. “Netanyahu offered, and the families accepted” she said, adding that they feared the graves would be desecrated if they had been buried in France.
Still wishing to coax something about dual loyalty out of the situation he asked Knell “ Did the four have much association with Israel?” (I’ve forgotten the exact turn of phrase, but believe me that was the gist)
Yolande did not answer. She said “There’s a lot of banging going on here - they’re clearing up after the funerals” So the question was never explored.
He was pursuing a odd line of questioning with Dr. Shimon Samuels of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre just now. He asked:
ReplyDelete- What are the levels of anti-Semitism in France, or is it fear that's driving Jewish people to leave for Israel?
- Is there a sense of racism towards the Jewish community in France,
or is it a perception of racism?
Was he trying to suggest that there's not a significant problem, and that it's more a matter of 'fear' and 'perception'?