-Caveat Lector- > French journalist wins anti-Semitism suit > > By Reuters > > PARIS - A French radio journalist tried on charges of fomenting > anti-Semitism by broadcasting criticisms of Israel's treatment of > Palestinians won an acquittal on Friday after an emotionally-charged > trial. > > The court found that Daniel Mermet, who aired the comments on his > France > Inter radio program in June 2001, had broadcast provocative remarks > of > his own and his listeners against Israel but these did not amount to > spreading anti-Semitism. > > Mermet broke into bitter tears at the end of the trial. > > "Mud sticks," he complained to journalists outside the courtroom. > "This > is an attack on my professional honor I will never forget. I was > dragged > before a court for supposedly being an anti-Semite. This is > disgusting, > even if I was acquitted." > > The case arose after Mermet broadcast six comments called in by > listeners > for a series about the Middle East conflict. Some accused Israel of > murdering Palestinian children and tarring its critics with the brush > of > anti-Semitism to silence them. > > "Let's not be racists, Zionists, let's be brothers," one caller > appealed. > Mermet added his own criticisms of Israeli policy, based on a visit > to > the region, and read an inflammatory anti-Israeli poem written by a > Palestinian teenager. > > The court ruling said Mermet had been reporting on an issue that was > by > its very nature controversial and had expressed his criticism > "without > any racial consideration." > > The Union of Jewish Students of France and the International League > against Racism and Anti-Semitism brought the suit against Mermet and > were > supported by several prominent intellectuals. > > Roger Cukierman, head of the CRIF umbrella group of Jewish > organisations, > warned during his testimony at the trial of the "devastating effect" > comments could have when broadcast. > > Journalist Alexandre Adler recalled a recent wave of anti-Jewish > attacks > in France, mostly linked to protests against Israeli policy in the > Middle > East, and added: "We must not broadcast calls to hate. A journalist > is > responsible for the words he transmits to others." > > More than 26,000 people - for their part supported by about 20 > leading > intellectuals - signed a petition by the press watchdog group > Reporters > without Borders entitled "Are we allowed to criticise Sharon?" > > The petition denounced the suit against Mermet as a bid to gag > critics of > Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's policies in the territories. > > "We reject this mania for blaming people and this suspicion," it > said. > > Also on Friday, Reporters without Borders said it had added Sharon to > its > list of enemies of press freedom after Imad Abu Zahra, a Palestinian > freelance reporter, died in hospital after being shot by IDF soldiers > > Thursday. > > > http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo= >6252&contrassID==1&subContrassID==8&sbSubContrassID==0&listSrc==Y
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