Guardian restores Israeli whisky that it edited out of drinks column
Readers express concern that the newspaper might be boycotting Israel-related content after an Israeli whisky was removed from a print and online feature
Richard Ferrer has been editor of Jewish News since 2009. As one of Britain's leading Jewish voices he writes for The Times, Independent, New Statesman and many other titles. Richard previously worked at the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, edited the Boston Jewish Advocate and created the Channel 4 TV series Jewish Mum Of The Year.
The Guardian has reinstated a drinks writer’s praise of an Israeli whisky distillery in his online drinks column after it was edited out of the copy in the print edition.
Concerns surfaced at the weekend that the newspaper may now be boycotting all Israel-related content after reference to the whisky was edited out of a feature in Sunday’s Observer newspaper – the Guardian’s sister title – on unusual whiskies from non-traditional regions.
The title’s drinks columnist, Henry Jeffreys, included in his review a mention of Israel’s M&H distillery – known for its award-winning single malt aged in pomegranate wine casks near the Dead Sea.
Jeffreys was further shocked to discover that mention of the distillery, which had appeared when the column was first put on the Guardian’s website, was later removed.
Expressing his frustration on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “I was surprised to see that the Guardian removed a reference to an Israeli single malt from M&H (formerly known as Milk & Honey) distillery over the weekend from my drinks column. It was there on Friday and by Saturday it had gone.”
Jeffreys added that the edit left him in an awkward position, having informed the distillery of its inclusion only for it to be absent by the time the link was accessed.
The article, titled “There’s more to whisky than scotch and bourbon,” originally highlighted the distinctive qualities of M&H’s four-year-old 2019 (The Heart Cut) and its Sherry Elements, which won the World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2023.
Following an inquiry from Jewish News, the article was amended on Tuesday to reinstate the reference to the M&H distillery and a footnote to that effect added at the bottom of the page.
The footnote fails to mention the words “Israel” or “Israeli” but states: “This article was amended on 5 November 2024 to reinstate a reference to a whisky from the M&H distillery.”
The Guardian’s u-turn comes in the wake of its deleted review of a Channel 4 documentary on the 7 October Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be’eri by Stuart Jeffries, who suggested that the portrayal of Hamas captured on CCTV cameras “demonised” the terrorists. Following backlash, the newspaper issued an apology, citing a “collective failure of process”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
