BBC News reporter Tim Willcox faces calls to resign after he said on-air that ”Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well’.
During a live report from the streets of Paris Willcox interviewed a woman who expressed her fears about Jewish persecution, saying “the situation is going back to the days of the 1930s in Europe.” to which Willcock replied “Many critics though of Israel’s policy would suggest that the Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well”
While this may seem a fair comment to many, angry viewers are now calling for his resignation. Willcox has issued on apology on Twitter which reads:
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“Really sorry for any offence caused by a poorly phrased question in a live interview in Paris yesterday – it was entirely unintentional.”
The Daily Mail reports:
But many viewers also used the social network to express their anger and concerns over Willcox’s rally coverage, including historian and BBC presenter Simon Schama.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘Appalling of @BBCTimWillcox to imply any and all JEWS (not Israelis) responsible for treatment of Palestinians by hectoring lady in Paris.’
And added: ‘Then he had gall to patronise her at the end – “you see people see it from all sides” That Palestinian plight justifies anti-semitic murder?’
Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard also joined the debate, tweeting: ‘What is @BBCTimWillcox’s problem with Jews? Once is problematic. Twice is a pattern.’The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which works to combat anti-Semitism in Britain, has circulated footage of the incident, and has called on those offended by it to formally complain to the BBC.
Director of communications, Jonathan Sacerdoti, told MailOnline Willcox’s Twitter apology was ‘not really good enough’.
‘It’s an admission he has done something wrong, but it’s incumbent on the BBC to make an on-air apology and to investigate his behaviour.’An online petition was also set up, demanding that Willcox ‘personally apologise’, and calling for ‘re-assurance that this constant anti-Semitic behaviour from the BBC will come to an end’.
The petition authors said: ‘It was the wrong time and place to ask such a disgraceful question. The unity march was a time for France and the rest of the world to come together and unite against the rising threat of terrorism and anti-Semitism, as well as an opportunity to mourn and remember those killed in the horrific attacks.
