‘Wear keffiyehs in solidarity with Palestine’ – UK journalists union

The union admitted that it had never before asked its members to clearly choose sides in an ongoing conflict.

By World Israel News Staff

The largest union of journalists in the United Kingdom is facing backlash after asking its members to “show solidarity” with the Palestinian cause by donning keffiyehs and dressing in red, black, and green, and urging them to post photos of their outfits on social media.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) distributed directives from the UK’s umbrella labor group, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which encouraged members to participate in a “Day of Action for Palestine.”

The NUJ advised journalists to wear symbols and colors associated with the pro-Palestinian movement in their workplaces, as well as “visibly ‘show solidarity’ by posting pictures of themselves in such clothing on social media,” according to a Jewish News report.

Due to the blatantly political nature of the request, a number of journalists have withdrawn from the union.

At least a dozen reporters are formally resigning from the organization, the Jewish News reported.

Among those who are leaving are BBC employees, who cited the request as a clear violation of the broadcaster’s ethical standards.

“BBC journalists, who pride themselves on impartiality and who fought to keep their NUJ free of politics, are being encouraged to break the BBC’s editorial guidelines by supporting a political cause,” a BBC staffer told Jewish News.

The “hypocritical and antisemitic” action on the part of the union was making them reconsider their membership, the staffer added.

In response to a query by Jewish News, the union admitted that it had never before asked its members to clearly choose sides in an ongoing conflict.

The union confirmed that it had not requested that its members dress in the colors of the Ukrainian flag following the Russian invasion.

The Board of Deputies, a UK Jewish advocacy group, criticized the trade unions in a statement of “playing student politics on a conflict on whose facts they appear to be plainly ignorant.”

The organization added that “whatever the stated intent, attempts to bring this issue into the workplace in such a fashion will undoubtedly add to the belligerent atmosphere which many Jewish staff have been facing.”

BBCBoard of DeputiesBoard of Deputies of British JewsEuropean antisemitismjournalismkeffiyeh