BBC correspondent slammed for ‘Jewish lobby’ tweet

JTA — The umbrella organization of British Jewry criticized the BBC’s correspondent in Washington for referring to the “Jewish lobby” in a tweet about the US election.

Katty Kay used the term in a question-and-answer session on Twitter, raising the ire of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Kay was asked by a tweeter late last month why US presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney became defensive when their commitment to Israel was questioned. She replied, “US sees #Israel as key ally in MidEast but no one running for Pres wants to alienate the power and money of the Jewish lobby.”

Board of Deputies head Jon Benjamin told the British newspaper the Jewish Chronicle that the reporter’s “loose use of language really has to be seen in a context where support for America’s key ally in the Middle East is cynically questioned — and the motives of Israel’s supporters are seen as suspect.”

A BBC spokesman told the newspaper that Kay’s “primary point in responding was that the US regards Israel as a key ally in the Middle East and also recognizes the importance and influence of this relationship on the voting.”