Jewish Chronicle reports JNF demand & SPSC response
JNF seeks apology for web slur
Jewish Chronicle,16/04/2004
Lawyers for the Jewish National Fund have demanded an apology from the Scottish branch of the country’s biggest pro-Palestinian lobby organisation after it published claims that the JNF was an “extremist racial organisation.”
The Scottish Palestine Solidarity campaign also alleged — in material on its website which has since been removed — that the JNF backed the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and raised funds in support of “ethnic segregation.”
[Removed following ultimatum from server, quickly reposted, since cascaded all over the world, SPSC]
In a letter to the SPSC, the JNF’s lawyers, Philippsohn Crawfords Berwald, said the allegations published on the site were defamatory.
Demanding “a full and unequivocal retraction and apology,” it said the words would have been understood to mean “that our client supports the unlawful expulsion of Palestinian Arabs from their homelands.”
This “slur,” it continued, was particularly damaging because of the inference that the JNF was abusing its charitable status.
“The allegation and imputation are entirely false,” said the lawyers. “Our client has never raised funds or used their funds for the purposes of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians or indeed of any ethnic group.”
The publication of the claims constituted a “very serious libel” and had caused the JNF serious embarrassment.
Apart from a retraction and apology, the JNF was entitled to “substantial damages,” the lawyers maintained.
Solicitor Steven Philippsohn, acting for the JNF, said the offending article had been removed from the website and that he and his client were “considering our position.”
However, SPSC chairman Mick Napier said that his organisation stood by its claims “and by everything we have said.”
In a letter to the JNF, he wrote: “As you know every word we have written is true and we look forward to meeting representatives of your racist organisation in front of a British jury…
“Hell will freeze over before we part with one penny to your fund, which would only go towards the further violation of the human rights of the Palestinians.”
JNF chief executive Simon Winters told the JC that the organisation was consulting its lawyers about the situation. “Since this material appeared on the SPSC website, we have received many calls of support,” he told the JC.
Members of the SPSC last month picketed the Glasgow Hilton Hotel, where entertainer Ruby Wax was guest of honour for a JNF fund-raising dinner.