So, did any of you see that surreal interview that Jeremy Paxman conducted last night, with the British Ambassador to the United Nations, Peter Gooderham?
You can watch the following exchange on the iPlayer at 29:27
Paxo: What is the difference between Zionism and Racism?
Ambassador: Well, we see the two as being quite distinct. We…
Paxo: Yeah what’s the difference?
Ambassador: Zionism is a political movement relating to the establishment …
Paxo: So are some forms of racism!
Ambassador: …some form of homeland, a Jewish homeland in what is now Israel.
Now, I’m not saying that Paxo should be sacked, or that the BBC should be shut down. For all I know, Paxo routinely compares all forms of nationalism to racism. I’m not hugely impressed by his interview technique: repeating Ahmadinijad’s racist provocation, and then scoffing at the Ambassador’s response. But then, that’s Paxo.
My point is a very simple one. This is basically why I don’t watch Newsnight.
