News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch apologized after making controversial comments about Gaza, the Hollywood Reporter reported. In Nov. 18 tweet, Murdoch wrote “apologise unreservedly” after a series of tweets critical of “Jewish owned press.” His apology tweet — which the Hollywood Reporter called a “half-apology” — reads:
“‘,Jewish owned press’ have been sternly criticised, suggesting link to Jewish reporters. Don’t see this, but apologise unreservedly.”
Murdoch‘s Nov. 17 tweets were:
- “Middle East ready to boil over any day. Israel position precarious. Meanwhile watch CNN and AP bias to point of embarrassment.”
- “Can’t Obama stop his friends in Egypt shelling Israel?”
- “Why Is Jewish owned press so consistently anti- Israel in every crisis?”
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the Daily Beast’s Peter Beinart called the tweet about the press being “Jewish owned” “downright dumb and offensive.”
The Daily Beast separately collected “Rupert Murdoch’s Most Offensive Tweets” leading with the “Jewish owned press” comment.
The Hollywood Reporter and Global Post noted that Murdoch isn’t alone in being criticized for his tweeted comments about the Middle East. In Murdoch’s company is reality star Kim Kardashian, who apologized after tweeting that she was “praying for everyone in Israel.” Kardashian blogged that she deleted her tweets “about saying prayers for the people in Palestine and Israel…because I realized that some people were offended and hurt by what I said.”
iMediaEthics wrote earlier about the BBC’s apology to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the “Chief Rabbi of Britain,” for asking him about Gaza when he apparently didn’t know he was on-air during his “brief, uninterrupted interlude” for the “Thought for the Day” segment.
Last month, Murdoch apologized for another tweet, as we wrote at the time. Murdoch apologized to actor Hugh Grant after tweeting critically of Grant (although not naming him):
“They don’t get arrested for indecency on major LA highways! Or abandon love child’s (sic).”
Murdoch’s apology on Twitter to the actor, who is suing News Corp’s now-closed News of the World, said: “Hugh Grant states that he is deeply involved in his daughter’s life – I accept that, regret tweet on the matter. Apologies to both parents.”
iMediaEthics is writing to News Corp. asking for any response to the criticism of Murdoch’s apology and will update with any response.