1 week ago
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Three salient columnists person resigned successful protestation from the Jewish Chronicle, arsenic a enactment deepens implicit the work of allegedly fabricated articles connected Israeli operations successful Gaza.
Jonathan Freedland, Hadley Freeman and David Aaronovitch announced they were quitting their columns implicit what Freedland described arsenic a "great disgrace" astatine the London-based newspaper.
It comes aft the JC said it conducted a "thorough investigation" into 1 of its freelance journalists, Elon Perry, "after allegations were made astir aspects of his record".
It said it was "not satisfied" with immoderate of the claims made by the writer, and truthful had deleted his articles and ended its relation with him.
Jonathan Freedland - who described the stories arsenic fabricated - said the JC had shown lone the "thinnest signifier of contrition".
Hadley Freeman said caller events made it intolerable for her to stay, portion Aaronovitch said he, too, had near the paper.
JC exertion Jake Wallis Simons said connected Sunday that helium understood "why immoderate columnists person decided to measurement backmost from the paper".
"I americium grateful for their contributions and anticipation that, successful time, immoderate of them volition consciousness capable to return," helium wrote connected X, formerly Twitter.
"I instrumentality afloat work for the mistakes that person been made and I volition instrumentality adjacent work for the task of making definite thing similar this tin hap again."
Wallis Simons said "it’s each paper editor’s worst nightmare to beryllium deceived by a journalist".
He added: "Readers tin beryllium assured that stronger interior procedures are being implemented."
Elon Perry told BBC News the JC "made a immense mistake with its statement". He said helium could not uncover his root to JC editors and described a "witch-hunt against maine caused by jealousy".
Perry describes himself in an online biography arsenic having worked arsenic a lecturer and a journalist, arsenic good arsenic "a commando successful the Israeli army, taking portion successful galore operations successful pursuing terrorists successful Gaza, the West Bank, and successful Lebanon".
The JC said connected Friday: "While we recognize helium did service successful the Israel Defence Forces, we were not satisfied with immoderate of his claims. We person truthful removed his stories from our website and ended immoderate relation with Mr Perry."
It did not specify which claims it was referring to.
In caller months, Perry has written a bid of articles for the JC.
The astir contentious was a portion helium wrote claiming a papers showed Hamas person Yahya Sinwar was readying to smuggle himself and immoderate surviving Israeli hostages retired of Gaza and to Iran, via the Philadelphi Corridor, a portion of onshore connected the Gaza-Egypt border.
The article's claims appeared to beryllium akin to talking points utilized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warrant the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) beingness successful the Philadelphi Corridor.
The communicative was followed up by media successful Israel, and aboriginal shared by Netanyahu's son.
According to the Times of Israel, the IDF subsequently said it had nary cognition of specified a papers existing.
Freedland - who has written for the JC since 1998 - said his attachment to the insubstantial "runs precise deep", opening with his precocious begetter who besides wrote for it.
"That enslaved partially explains wherefore I've stuck with it adjacent arsenic it departed from the traditions that physique its estimation arsenic the world's oldest Jewish newspaper," he wrote connected X.
"Too often, the JC reads similar a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements governmental alternatively than journalistic."
He besides warned that determination was "no existent accountability" due to the fact that the paper is owned "by a idiosyncratic oregon radical who garbage to uncover themselves".
He concluded by saying that helium was breaking his transportation with the insubstantial due to the fact that helium nary longer recognised it.
His station was shared by Aaronovich, who wrote: "I person done the same."
Meanwhile, Hadley Freeman said she was "immensely grateful" for each the enactment she has had connected the paper, but said she was nary longer capable to stay arsenic a columnist successful airy of caller developments.
BBC News has contacted the JC for further comment.
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