Posted on 03/26/2002 7:29:34 AM PST by veronica
The Board of Deputies plans to investigate the monitoring of the Guardian Unlimited's message board after TJ revealed the website did not consider a posting alleging Jewish blood libel to be a breach of policy.
Website editor-in-chief Emily Bell told TJ last week that it had not banned user “proudjew” – as the Board had requested - for his allegation that Jews use Palestinian blood to make matzah for Passover.
The message had been posted recently as part of a thread of heated exchanges by registered users.
The Board had been “under the impression” that the user was going to be permanently banned.
According to Bell, users are dismissed in extreme cases of policy breach. But in this instance, the Guardian only removed the message and warned “proudjew”, because there had not been a “clear breach” of the message board rules.
Bell said: “We have a strict policy of non-racist and non-homophobic postings. But we do no have a policy against anti-Israel postings since we encourage a free exchange of (political) views.”
She added: “While the language was offensive the context was not unambiguous,” claiming the posting did not appear to be the work of an outright racist, but more likely a sarcastic comment made as part of a longer chain of conversation.
After reading Bell’s statements on TJ, Board spokeswoman Fiona Macaulay said: “I am amazed. Whatever the contextual reference, the obscenity of blood libel cannot be tolerated. I’m deeply concerned that the Guardian did not appear to understand this.”
While she admitted there could have been a misunderstanding about whether or not the user was actually going to banned, she said it should be crystal clear that the posting was “definite incitement and a clear case of anti-Semitism.
So let me get this straight: the Guardian bans those who trash people of color and homosexuals, but it's okay to trash Jews?
The mind boggles.
Regards, Ivan
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