NUJ slams Israeli government spokesman Mencer for 'abusive' attack on BBC's Mishal Husain
The UK's National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has slammed Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer for accusing BBC presenter Mishal Husain of inciting “attacks on Jews" in the country.
Mencer also accused the veteran BBC journalist of “blindly repeating what terrorist organisations" fed her.
In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, Mencer claimed that the BBC’s reporting had led to antisemitic attacks on Jews in Britain.
Responding to his outburst, the NUJ said Menser was “abusive”, adding that the Israeli government’s “contempt for the work of journalists was laid bare” during the interview.
The union praised Husain as a “consummate professional”.
“Abusing and hectoring journalists is always a bad look, particularly so when it is an official response from a government that seeks to make much of its democratic credentials,” the NUJ said.
Britain’s public broadcaster has also defended Husain since the accusation. The BBC said she “was asking legitimate and important questions in a professional, fair and courteous manner”.
'Pro-Palestinian'
Husain has presented the Today programme for 11 years. She is seen as a strong candidate for the role of the BBC’s top news presenter after the resignation of its previous senior presenter, Huw Edwards, who pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in late July.
During the interview on Monday, Husain asked Mencer about a recent Israeli air strike on a school compound in Gaza that was sheltering displaced Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of over 100 Palestinians.
Mencer responded by falsely claiming that “there were no women and children present” at the compound.
“You, as the BBC, you do no credit to ordinary Gazans by just blindly repeating what terrorist organisations, Isis-like organisations, the information which they feed you,” he said.
Husain then raised allegations made by the Israeli rights group B’Tselem that Israel has been torturing Palestinian prisoners.
Mencer replied: “I think you just warrant the pro-Palestinian reporter of the year award, and I congratulate you for that.”
He went on to say that the BBC presenter “produces radicalism, which makes Jews in the UK afraid to walk the streets”.
Mencer added: “You producing reports on this war one-sidedly, without context, ends up with attacks on Jews on the streets of Britain. It ends up with cars going up the Finchley Road saying: 'Jews, we’re going to rape your daughters'.”
Mencer is a former director of Labour Friends of Israel, a lobby group within the Labour Party, which has governed Britain since the July election.
He became a spokesperson for the Israeli government after Eylon Levy lost the role due to a public disagreement with then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron on social media several months ago.
Support for Mishal Husain has poured in across social media.
Bestselling historian William Dalrymple said on Monday evening that she “should wear the smears of genocidal Israeli spokespeople as a badge of honour”.
He added Husain “has done more for the BBC and what is left of its reputation for professionalism than anyone else”.
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