NUJ Boycott: A Reward For Palestinian Journalists?

The NUJ Boycott will presumably mean that all NUJ journalists in the area will be checking out of Israeli hotels and moving to Gaza, no longer using Israeli restaurants and places of hospitality, no longer resting on the seafronts, golf courses and swimming pools in the evenings and no longer using Israeli hospitals for treatment and no longer returning hastily to Israel as a safe haven from personal attack?

So they will all be returning to Gaza or outside of the Green line each night? This surely must also apply to all BBC correspondents, including some of our best friends.

I am so relieved.

Maybe the NUJ or the BBC can tell us when this has been done. It should only take a day or so for their full relocation into Gaza.

regards,

R Baker

Posted by: R Baker at Apr 18, 2007 5:26:22 PM

I am so sad to see the niaivity of the NUJ. A boycott of Israel would be 'rewarding bad behaviour'. Its the green light to kidnap, kill or brainwash all our BBC journalists.
Can I suggest that these brave and intelligent reporters be protected? You are not doing that by undermining the rule of law. It is certainly illegal to kill and kidnap in Israel. The Israelis do not do it.
Why then, allow journalists to become pawns in a campaign of anti-semitic hatred?
The NUJ can support whoever they like politically, and should strive to be objective. This boycott is not balanced, and as such gives out the message that we, in the west are easily manipulated.
I plead for a strong denunciation by the NUJ against those lawless individuals who take people captive, and against their leaders who seem powerless to enforce justice on them.

Posted by: S.Corsham at Apr 18, 2007 6:23:35 PM

I have said it before and now I will say it again. No matter what the Arabs do the World will still hate us more.

Posted by: Ivan Silverstein at Apr 18, 2007 9:50:22 PM

I am an NUJ member and am horrified and disgusted that this resolution, which certain members have been trying to achieve for years, has finally gone through. In the past, our trades union newspaper "The Journalist" was full of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel hate mail and articles to the actual detriment of the kind of issues which preoccupy our members! The problem is that anyone can call themselves a journalist nowadays who has their own blog. The result is that the union has been infiltrated with some pretty nasty characters who have no interest in helping members fight the deteriorating conditions in the profession but merely want to promote their own warped political agenda.
If these members are going to boycott Israeli goods, I suggest they start by boycotting Windows (mostly developed in Israel), anti-cancer and anti-AIDS drugs developed in Israel, several types of surgical implants developed in Israel. If this shortens their lives then that can only be a good thing.

Posted by: Josephine Bacon at Apr 19, 2007 9:25:13 AM

Why is Mr. Dear hiding behind his union? The last time I checked freedom of speech had not been abolished in the UK sow why doesn't he come out of his Nazi closet? I obviously don't like Jew-Haters but I detest as the vilest scum the cowards who hide behind other movements/organisations to conduct their campaigns of hate. So come along Mr. Dear - be a big boy now!!

Posted by: J Cohen at Apr 19, 2007 12:00:06 PM

A further example of the regrettable 'unholy' alliance of the far left and the pro Palestinian lobby.Perhaps the NUJ believe that by ingratiating themselves with the murderous thugs who kidnapped Alan Johnston , they may secure his release . They are sadly deluded.Such an action will only serve to encourage further acts of this nature in the future.
I await similar protest action against Russia for their carpet bombing of Chechyna ,for the thousands of innocent lives lost as a result of indiscriminate bombing by both the US and Britain in Afghanistan and Irak.Some chance .As ever ,a different set of standards would appear to apply to Israel.
I trust the NUJ members will hand in their mobile phones ,lap tops etc as most of the technology has been developed in Israel's silicon valley!

Posted by: harvey garfield at Apr 23, 2007 7:38:02 PM