Five Jewish Chronicle writers quit, accusing it of prioritising politics over journalism
Star columnists Jonathan Freedland, Hadley Freeman, David Baddiel and David Aaronovitch announced their departures. They are joined by Colin Shindler, professor of Israel studies.
Four household name columnists and a professor of Israel studies have resigned from the Jewish Chronicle, accusing the newspaper of being led by “politics rather than journalism”.
Jonathan Freedland, Hadley Freeman, David Baddiel and David Aaronovitch, all major voices in British journalism, announced their departures on social media on Sunday morning.
They were later joined by Colin Shindler, professor of Israel studies at the University of London, who has contributed to the paper for more than 50 years.
Freedland, a columnist at the JC since 1998, began his resignation letter by stating his deep family connection to the newspaper. “My attachment to the JC runs very deep,” he wrote. “I have been a columnist since 1998. My late father started writing for the JC in 1951. That bond explains why I have stuck with it even as it departed from the traditions that built its reputation as the world’s oldest Jewish newspaper.
“The latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper – publishing fabricated stories and showing only the thinnest form of contrition – but this is only the latest Too often, the JC reads like a partisan ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic.”
Freedland also expressed concern about the JC’s secretive ownership. He warned: “The problem in this case is that there can be no real accountability because the JC is owned by a person or people who refuse to reveal themselves. I and others have long urged transparency, making that case [to the editor] privately, but nothing has happened. For now, I need to break my connection with the JC because I no longer recognise it.”
Hadley Freeman, another key voice at the JC, resigned with a similarly poignant message. She tweeted: “Recent events have made it impossible for me to stay.” Freeman’s decision was followed by David Aaronovitch, who, in an understated post, simply said: “I have done the same.”
Baddiel, meanwhile, notified the Guardian of his intention to quit the title.
The five writers follow Sunday Times journalist Josh Glancy, who quit the JC over similar concerns in 2023.
This weekend’s star exodus came after the JC was forced to retract a series of articles about the Gaza war, written by “freelance journalist” Elon Perry, allegedly based on Israeli intelligence sources.
Perry’s articles included detailed purported accounts of Israeli operations, including highly sensitive military information and intelligence on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his tactics, including a supposed plan to smuggle Israeli hostages out of the Gaza Strip. Concerns grew after Israeli media described Perry’s work as “fabrications”. The IDF is conducting its own investigation.
In response, the JC published a brief statement at 9.30pm on Friday, after Shabbat had come in, stating: “The Jewish Chronicle has conducted a thorough investigation into freelance journalist Elon Perry, initiated after concerns were raised about aspects of his background. While we acknowledge his service in the Israel Defence Forces, we found some of his claims to be unsubstantiated. As a result, we have removed his articles from our website and ended our association with Mr Perry.
“The Jewish Chronicle upholds the highest journalistic standards in a competitive media environment, and we regret the events that led to this situation. We apologise to our readers and have reviewed our internal procedures to prevent this from happening again.”
Founded in 1841, the JC is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. It has been a trusted source for generations and has had a vital role in shaping Jewish identity and public opinion in the UK and beyond.
In April 2020 the title was poised to merge with Jewish News to become a diverse voice for British Jewry, before a mystery buyer intervened. The individual’s identity has remained a closely-guarded secret, despite appeals from the Jewish community and the wider journalistic community.
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