BBC: ‘Inadvisable’ for Jewish ex-TV chief to sign letter opposing Israel boycott

The BBC says it was “inadvisable” for its Jewish former head of television to sign a letter opposing a cultural boycott of Israel.

In an email response to a complaint last month, the organization says that it accepts that senior individuals “should avoid making their views known on issues of current political controversy,” and regrets the “impression” given by the appearance of Cohen’s name on the letter, The Guardian reports.

The letter, which appeared in The Guardian, reads: “We do not believe cultural boycotts are acceptable or that the letter you published accurately represents opinion in the cultural world in the UK… We will be seeking to inform and encourage dialogue about Israel and the Palestinians in the wider cultural and creative community.”

Cohen announced his upcoming departure in October 2015, several days before the letter appeared. He left the BBC in November, and now works in the US.

In late 2014, Cohen warned of growing anti-Semitism in the UK, saying “I’ve never felt so uncomfortable being a Jew in the UK as I’ve felt in the last 12 months.”