Stephen Pollard’s attack on Jeremy Bowen has gained some new supporters, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Andrew Balcombe, chairman of the Zionist Federation of Britain and Ireland, has written to the chair of the BBC Trust, Dr Chitra Bharucha, following a leaked e-mail Bowen sent last month that questions Bowen’s impartiality as he appears to put the onus of blame for the violence in the region on Israel.

I don’t carry a torch for Bowen as a reporter, but to use the email as a lever to get rid of him is truly pathetic.

The Zionist Federation are ill-advised to follow Pollard. Here, for example, is Bowen writing in the email about Ehud Barak:

Barak is a retired general, former head of the Israeli army and its most decorated soldier. (Among his many exploits was disguising himself as a woman during a raid in Beirut to kill various Palestinians).

Pollard’s gloss? Bowen:

has contempt for every Israeli politician he mentions; Ehud Barak, for instance, is described as having killed “various Palestinians”, written as if he did so for the sake of it.

“Written as if he did so for the sake of it…”??? Good grief…

Bowen’s email may not be up there as a piece of analysis with George Kennan‘s ‘Long Telegram,’ but the BBC‘s Middle East editor has elaborated widely on his views of the region, beyond just reporting, and that is ample opportunity for anyone to see where he’s coming from.

Pollard meanwhile, heads a thinktank whose purpose seems to be little more than corporate advocacy…although he reassured the Independent last December that despite its acceptance of money from ExxonMobil it’s not in the “climate change denial” business.