April 24, 2007

Freedland editorialises for the Guardian?

I've expressed my concern at zionists taking over at Comment is free, well now I've just been told that Jonathan Freedland wrote the recent Guardian editorial condemning the NUJ for their boycott Israel vote. The guy writing the email says that the editorial and Freedland's own Comment is free piece on the same issue are too similar to be coincidental. Leader writers don't have to be editors themselves it's true but for the Guardian to hand over its editorial column to a self-declared zionist, even as a once-off, would be a new low for the paper.

But how similar are the pieces? The leader mentions the Alan Johnston kidnap, but unlike both Freedland's piece and Israel's ambassador to the UK, it didn't stoop so low as to suggest that this made the Palestinians an unfit case for solidarity. But then, perhaps a Guardian editorial wouldn't have passed the, er, editing if it was so manifestly illiberal. The mention of Johnston in the leader was merely saying that his plight is the kind of thing the NUJ ought to campaign on.

But there are some similarities between Freedland's piece and the leader so please compare and contrast and if anyone actually knows, let me know.

Thanks

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