David Ward MP welcomes BBC Trust report on Israel comments
The BBC Trust has published its response to a complaint against a BBC article on controversial comments about the treatment of Palestinians made by David Ward MP in January of this year.
The extensive investigation concluded that the accusation that David Ward's comments had applied generally to 'Jews' and not specifically to "Jews in Israel" who had committed atrocities against Palestinians required a "stretch of the imagination".
The BBC further stated:
"It's our view that to have taken the criticism as extending to Jews outside Israel would be a misinterpretation of Mr. Ward's intended meaning since the logical sense of his comment was that he was in fact referring to Jews 'in Israel".
In response to the BBC Trust investigation David Ward today commented:
"After the upsetting accusations of anti-Semitism and of having made a generalisation about all Jews - something I have always fiercely denied - I very much welcome the thoughtful conclusion reached by the BBC. Whilst I am always willing to consider criticisms of what I do actually say I find it unfair to continuously be attacked for what I have not said."
David Ward is presently suspended from the Liberal Democrats' Parliamentary Group after stating that he did not believe the apartheid State of Israel could continue.
ENDS
The full BBC Trust report can be read here (page 31): http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/appeals/esc_bulletins/2013/may_jun.pdf