Th BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41241353 on the high incidence of anti Semitic sentiment in the UK in a report that is a trifle odd.
It starts by reporting the incidence in the British public as a whole:
'More than a quarter of British people hold at least one anti-Semitic view, according to a study of attitudes to Jewish people.'
It then linked anti Semitic attitudes to anti Israel attitudes and also Islam.
'Researchers also found a correlation in anti-Jewish and anti-Israel attitudes... when questioned about whether they agreed with a number of statements, including "Jews think they are better than other people", and "Jews exploit holocaust victimhood for their own purposes", 30% agreed with at least one statement.'
."The report said about 70% of the population of Britain had a favourable opinion of Jews and did not hold any anti-Semitic ideas or views.'
That 30:70 split is reported factually, without BBC opinion. Just imagine how the BBC would report similar figures re 'Islamophobic' attitudes, the BBC would be affronted and incensed.
Back to anti Semitism, t he BBC report does have a section headed 'Muslim views' that runs thus, and I comment on each pertinent part:
'The IJPR's researchers questioned 5,466 people face-to-face and online in the winter of 2016/17 - 995 of these were Muslims, although a smaller number of Muslims were included in the statisticians' nationally representative sample.'
So a large sample, we should be able to rely on a sample of that size.
'They found more than half of Muslims (55%) held at least one anti-Semitic attitude.'
More than half, a clear majority, of Muslims hold at least one anti-Semitic attitude. Interestingly the BBC don't report how many Muslims hold many anti-Semitic attitudes, I wonder why.
'Dr Jonathan Boyd, director of the IJPR, said: "Our intention here was not to make any broad generalisations about the Muslim population and their attitudes towards Jews.'
Although the generalisation that Muslims hold anti-Semitic views could be made?
"There does seem to be some relationship between levels of religiosity in the Muslim population and anti-Semitism."
Now that's interesting but the BBC are not interested in investigating why seemingly the more one follows 'the religion of peace' the more one holds anti-Semitic views. Surely any correlation between Islam and anti-Semitism is worthy of asking the question 'why'. An independent unbiased news investigative organisation would ask that question but the BBC is not unbiased in this area.
'The institute said it wanted to promote an "elastic view", making a distinction between people who are clearly anti-Semites, and ideas that are perceived by Jews as anti-Semitic.'
Oddly I don't recall the BBC pushing the idea that there was a difference between people who are 'Islamaphobic' and those who Muslims think are 'Islamaphobic'.
'In December 2016 the government adopted an internationally recognised definition of anti-Semitism: "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews".'
No comment from the BBC on this?
Then the BBC have a section headed 'Questions on Israel'
'The researchers also questioned people about their views on statements about Israel and the conflict with the Palestinians.
Their report said fewer than one in five people questioned (17%) had a favourable opinion of Israel, whereas about one in three (33%) held an unfavourable view.
The report said: "The position of the British population towards Israel can be characterised as one of uncertainty or indifference, but among those who hold a view, people with sympathies towards the Palestinians are numerically dominant."'
Of course the BBC don't take any credit for this anti Israel sentiment but they have done more than almost any other organisation to raise the level of anti Israel feeling amongst the consumers of its output.
'Dr Boyd said: "Anti-Israel and anti-Jewish views exist both together and in isolation."The higher the level of anti-Israel attitudes measured, the more likely they are to hold anti-Semitic views as well."'
That's a point that I've been making for years, increasing anti Israel feelings inevitable increases anti-Semitism. And that is something that the institutionally anti Israel BBC has been guilty of for years.
There's much more that I could say about this BBC report but I'll end with this line from the report:
'Despite this, the researchers said they found that levels of anti-Semitism in Great Britain were among the lowest in the world.'
The BBC would say, so that's OK then. I'd say it shows just how hated Jews are around the world and that maybe the BBC concentrate on that a little more than incidents of supposed 'Islamophbia'.
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