Oxford Don "should be Kilroyed"
Jewish peer Lord Janner of Braunstone has accused the BBC of inconsistency in suspending Robert Kilroy-Silk for his anti-Arab remarks, whilst taking no action against Oxford don Tom Paulin for his comments about Israelis.
Robert Kilroy-Silk described Arabs in his Sunday Express column as "suicide bombers, limb-amputators and women repressors", and was subsequently suspended by the BBC, pending an investigation. Last Friday he quit the BBC, after 17 years as a talk-show host.
Lord Janner claimed in an interview for Channel Four News that Mr Paulin, poet and professor of English at Hertford College, and also a panelist on BBC2's Newsnight Review programme, should have received similar treatment. He argued: "What he [Paulin] said about Jewish people was terrible and nothing happened to him."
In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, published in April 2002, Paulin allegedly called for US-born Jewish settlers to be killed. He also reportedly said of them: "They are Nazis, racists. I have nothing but hatred for them."
In response to criticism of his alleged comments, Paulin stated he was "a lifelong opponent of anti-Semitism" and that he did "not support attacks on Israeli citizens under any circumstances."
However, Lord Janner said: "We found Mr Paulin's remarks extremely offensive and were obviously shocked and surprised that the BBC decided to do absolutely nothing about it."
Mr Paulin was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
22nd Jan 2004