Question Time George Galloway in Finchley controversy

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Question Time
Presented by David Dimbleby
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
Production
Production location(s) Finchley, London
Camera setup multi-camera
Running time 60 minutes (approx.)
Production company(s) Mentorn,
BBC Scotland
Distributor BBC
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release 5 February 2015 (2015-02-05)

The Question Time George Galloway in Finchley controversy relates to an edition of the BBC's Question Time broadcast on 5 February 2015 in which Respect's George Galloway, then a member of parliament, was invited to participate. Hosted by David Dimbleby as usual, the edition was recorded earlier in the evening in Finchley, North London, an area which has the largest Jewish minority in the UK.[1]

Although Galloway has appeared on Question Time on many occasions, this invitation was criticised ahead of the broadcast because of Galloway's outspoken attitude towards Israel.[2]

Announcement

News of Galloway's invitation emerged in late January, more than a week before the broadcast. The chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council thought the BBC's invitation was "at best insensitive and at worst an unnecessary provocative stunt, which is unbecoming of the UK's national broadcaster."[3] The chief executive of the Board of Deputies thought an "inflammatory and cynical decision" had been made, but also said "we look forward to" people in the constituency "having the opportunity to call George Galloway to account for his scandalous record of provocation and division."[4] Mike Freer, the Conservative member of parliament for Finchley and Golders Green, also thought the BBC had made a decision which lacked sensitivity.[3]

At the end of January, the BBC defended Galloway's right to speak on this edition on freedom of speech grounds and because he is an MP.[5][6] On Twitter, two days prior to the programme, Galloway accused "Zionist extremists" of attempting to "wreck" his participation.[7]

Broadcast

Earlier in the day of the programme's recording and transmission, a new study by the Community Security Trust, a British charity which monitors antisemitism, had issued a study reporting 1,168 antisemitic incidents during 2014. This figure was more than double that of the previous year and the highest number recorded in the UK since 1984, the earliest year for which such reports exist.[8]

The last question asked by an audience member was: "Why is antisemitism rising in the UK and do you think a certain member of the panel bear[s] some responsibility for this?" In this part of the programme Galloway was repeatedly heckled, and Dimbleby asked for calm several times.[8]

Jonathan Freedland, an executive editor of The Guardian, "People like George Galloway need to exercise great responsibility in this area because it’s incendiary… and can lead to hate,"[9] He accused Galloway of conveying antisemitic conspiracy theories about Israel's supposed involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.[10] As part of his response to the question, Galloway said: "I can’t tell you how deeply I resent this part of the programme. Antisemitism is a foul form of racism that in the 1930s led to the Holocaust." He insisted that he would have fought fascism if he had been around at the time.[1]

Freedland was criticised by Galloway for referring to the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict as "a resumption of violence", whereas "other people call it mass murder by Israel" in which "2,136 Palestinians locked up in a prison camp called Gaza" had died.[8] Galloway said that attacks on Muslims in the UK were more numerous and called for unity on opposing antisemitism and Islamophobia.[1] Freedland, who had drawn a connection between the war and the increase in antisemitism in the UK, was not asked to return to the discussion by Dimbleby.[11]

The other panellists on the programme were the secretary of state for education Nicky Morgan, shadow education spokesman Tristram Hunt and journalist Cristina Odone.[8]

Aftermath

After the broadcast, Galloway asserted that he had been "set up" by the BBC, because the second part of the question was delivered without the consent of the production team, but left in; the programme, as usual, was pre-recorded. He asserted that Dimbleby had apologised for the question privately.[11][12] The questioner, student Gabriel Rosen, later said the claim about his unauthorised addition was true.[13]

In Galloway's opinion, Freedland had taken the role of "the prosecutor-in-chief, he lit the touch paper and then smugly retired."[11] Freedland expressed disappointment at the behaviour of the audience. Responding to Galloway's accusation, he said: "I simply pointed out that he has in the past inflamed an already tense issue by making wild, unfounded accusations – a point he did not address."[11] Galloway wrote an extended post on his blog in which he asserted that the audience selection was "laughably biased" and that "not a single visibly Muslim person made it to the audience."[14]

Roslyn Pine, of the North Salford Synagogue, condemned the behaviour of the audience because it reduced the time available "to make the points which would have shown Galloway for what he is".[15] Alex Brummer, wrote in The Jewish Chronicle: "We must all combat those who single out Israel as a pariah state rather than recognising its achievements. But shouting down the messengers, rather than engaging in serious dialogue, doesn’t make much sense."[16]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Marcus Dysch "George Galloway challenged by hostile audience at Finchley Question Time", The Jewish Chronicle, 6 February 2015
  2. ↑ Alex Klineberg "George Galloway And The Jews (What Could Go Wrong?)", The Times of Israel (blog), 28 February 2015
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marcus Dysch and Sandy Rashty "Outrage over 'Question Time' slot for George Galloway", The Jewish Chronicle, 29 January 2015
  4. ↑ Sandy Rashty "Galloway Question Time appearance is chance to call MP to account, says Board", The Jewish Chronicle, 29 January 2015
  5. ↑ 'Monkey' "George Galloway's Question Time slot 'lacks sensitivity', BBC told", The Guardian, 27 January 2015
  6. ↑ Lamiat Sabin "Jewish groups protest against George Galloway appearance in Finchley for BBC's Question Time", The Independent, 3 February 2015
  7. ↑ Jack Sommers "George Galloway's 'Cynical' Question Time Invite Triggers Backlash From Jewish Groups", The Huffington Post, 3 February 2015
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Kiran Moodley "George Galloway heckled during Question Time over his anti-Israel stance: 'You can be the lions, I'll be Daniel'", The Independent, 6 February 2015
  9. ↑ Paul Vale "George Galloway Heckled During Fractious Question Time Debate On Rising Anti-Semitic Tide", The Huffington Post, 6 February 2015
  10. ↑ Ben Cohen "Anti-Zionist British Parliamentarian George Galloway Launches Legal Action Against Journalist’s ‘Antisemite’ Tweet", the algemeiner, 12 February 2015
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "George Galloway accuses BBC over Question Time 'set-up'", The Guardian, 6 February 2015
  12. ↑ "Galloway: BBC set me up with anti-semite question", The Scotsman, 6 February 2015
  13. ↑ Marcus Dysch "George Galloway questioner reveals what went on in Question Time studio", The Jewish Chronicle, 6 February 2015
  14. ↑ Sara C. Nelson "George Galloway Still Smarting About 'Lynch Mob' BBC Question Time", The Huffington Post, 9 February 2015
  15. ↑ Roslyn Pine "Opinion: Jewish hotheads lost an argument that could so easily have been won", Jewish News Online, 10 February 2015
  16. ↑ Alex Brummer "Question Time fallout: we're meant to debate, not hate", The Jewish Chronicle, 12 February 2015
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