Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 13 August 2024

Complaint

The speaker on this occasion was the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis. Β A listener complained that his remarks about Jerusalem were contentious because they took no account of the rights of Palestinian inhabitants of the city. Β The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s editorial standards of impartiality.


Outcome

Sir Ephraim’s references to Jerusalem were prompted by that day’s fast of Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples.  In drawing a parallel between those events and the events of 7 October 2023, Sir Ephraim said nothing which brought the rights of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem into play or raised an issue of impartiality.

Not upheld