Prominent Jewish television executives in Britain have expressed their displeasure at a social media post by a former Channel 4 commissioner calling for a crackdown on anti-Semitism by Stephen Fry.
Tamara Abood, a former Channel 4 current affairs commissioner and producer of programmes, among others What is happening in Kavos?sparked outrage after posting on LinkedIn about Fry’s alternative Christmas message.
Industry executives were also surprised that one of Abood’s posts was “liked” by Deborah Williams, chief executive of the Creative Diversity Network, British television’s inclusivity watchdog.
Fry used his speech on Channel 4 to express his concern about rising anti-Semitism in Britain and urged viewers to stand up against discrimination. The six-minute speech was produced by Fulwell 73.
Abood, who now works as a psychotherapist but has ties to the television industry, wrote in a series of LinkedIn posts that the speech was “disingenuous”.
She added: “C4 is sending a Christmas message about anti-Semitism. If it doesn’t show you where the power lies and who dies for the lies of the powerful, you choose to be blind.”
Abood has since deleted her LinkedIn account, meaning her posts are no longer in the public domain, but a source shared screenshots of the posts and the uproar they caused. Abood has been contacted for comment.
In other posts, Abood argued that anti-Semitism “does not happen in a vacuum” and that the specter of hatred against the Jewish people “has been used to silence debate.” She added that she is “completely empathetic towards anyone who experiences discrimination.”
A prominent producer responded: “I am deeply shocked and, frankly, appalled at the vitriolic, vitriolic tone and content of your messages… I try to understand where you are coming from, but your facts are wrong and the language is upsetting. “Racist. , extremely anti-Semitic.”
Another producer, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, said: “I am saddened by your message…The problem with messages like this is that it completely alienates Jews – and drives us even further away at a time when we must desperately need it. “Should you try to bring it all together?”
Leo Pearlman, managing partner at Fulwell 73, said The Daily Telegraph — who first reported the LinkedIn posts — that Abood appeared to be “playing a game of anti-Semitism bingo.” He added: “All the phrases are there, from ‘Jews control the media’ to ‘anti-Semitism that does not operate in a vacuum’.”
Upset that the CDN boss likes the job
There is also anger that Abood’s post about where “power lies” was held by Williams, who led the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) for seven years. The organization is a collaboration between major UK broadcasters and monitors diversity in television programmes.
Pearlman told it telegraph: “Perhaps most worryingly, the head of CDN kept the job – underscoring the scale of the problem we face.” When the person responsible for supporting minorities in our industry likes or retweets this stuff, I’m not sure the organization she runs is fit for purpose.”
Another producer told Deadline: “I just can’t believe that the head of CDN doesn’t see anti-Jewish racism as a problem. Instead, she openly supports the harassment of Jews.”
Williams and a CDN spokesperson have been contacted for comment.
She was active on Twitter (now muted). and important debate. Anti-Semitism is on the rise, but so is the unscrupulous use of the term to silence legitimate questions about the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.”
Speech by Stephen Fry
Fry used his Christmas message, an alternative to King Charles III’s traditional holiday speech, to denounce anti-Semitism. He said it was “painful” to witness the conflict in Gaza and that “the terrible loss of life on both sides causes me overwhelming sadness and grief.”
Fry added that this was “not an excuse” for the hatred of the Jewish people in Britain. “Having known and loved this country, I do not believe that most Britons are happy to live in a society that regards Jew-hatred as the only acceptable form of racism. So speak out, stand with us, be proud to be a Jew or, if you are not a Jew at all, proud that we are as much a part of this great nation as any other minority,” he said. said.
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
