BBC Radio 4 "Today" program proves there is no Jewish Lobby

The BBC Radio 4 "Today" program 8.10 am slot is their prime time moment that any politician or public figures craves for. Brash, rough , tough Jewish,wheeler dealer, football club owner, charmless bulying, Sir Alan Sugar (Knighted in 2000) star of the dire Donald Trump look alike BBC TV show "The Apprentice" and "rags to riches" zillionaire with £790 million of assets that gets him 71st place on The Sunday Times Richlist in 2006 was there for 15 testosterone loaded minutes today.

Telling us what a great guy Lord Levy was, how he "blagged" for Tony Blair and the Labour Party ... and Tony Blair should stop the character assassination going on of "Michael". Which sounded awfully like Tony Soprano reminding someone of a loan. He is of course famous for his "You're Fired!" remark.

The Daily Mail figured highly in his list of hits - who of course had stories from his (ex) daughter in law saying what a nasty cove he was including tales of demanding the return of £5 million given in the form of a £1.1 million house, a £280,000 salary and Amstrad shares to his son, Simon. He plainly resented their coverage of his part in Tottenham Hotspur a North London soccer club and the often murky world of professional football, of which he has now only 13%, the rest he sold off to Daniel Levy of ENIC Sports plc who have shares in Slavia Prague and Vicenza - the only Premier League Chairman with a 1st Class degree from Cambridge.

Curiously this interview (?) with James "Jim" Naughtie followed an earlier item , an interview with the Editor of the Jewish Chronicle who said "Lord Levy had been hung out to dry" .. which follows an article today by Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, of Mill Hill Synagogue in North-West London, in the Jewisg Chronicle (who of course appaeared on Newsnight on Tuesday see Lor Patel's posting re same) where the embattled peer is a congregant, denounces “the blatant nastiness in some of the tabloids and the recent seeming trial by media”. Rabbi Schochet has blamed “sinister corners” for the leaks, and condemned “the mean-spiritedness so prevalent in this country”. He also used a television interview to claim: “The Jewish community is becoming increasingly more sensitive that there is one Jew, who has been called the most dynamic Jew in Anglo-Jewry, seemingly being hung out to dry here.”

This pressure was clearly taking its toll on the peer and his family. Friends remarked that he was suffering from stress. “He has had enough,” said one.

In a statement, Lord Levy strongly denied any wrong-doing and attacked media coverage based on leaked material that was “partial, contradictory, confused and inaccurate”. His lawyer, Neil O’May, said a stream of leaks was “both damaging and highly prejudicial”.

Writing this, Privy Councillors, Malcolm Rifkind and Denis McShane (born Denis Matyjaszek, ) chair of UK cross-party parliamentary committee looking into Anti-Semitism in Britain which reported in September 2006 were both on the same program dealing with James "Jim" Naughtie" , banging on about anti-semitism in the EU (BBC Online) . He is however happy to promote the view "The 10,000 Muslims in my constituency of Rotherham can only benefit from removing the dead hand of ideological Islamism" Torygraph 17/10/2006
and is never shy to attribute any criticism of the Israeli state or Jewish activities as anti-semitism.

Expect extensive coverage next week on the BBC about the stress on Truth Turner etc., ...all in the course of providing "balance" you understand.