Newspapers respond to demands for apologies over #antisemitism libels

My first newspaper editor once told me, “Mike, don’t quote from other newspapers. It’s always best to check the facts yourself.”

That’s good advice, as the papers who blindly repeated the phenomenal Sunday Times ‘Holocaust denial’ libel against me are starting to find out.

I mentioned in a previous article that I spent an evening contacting the editors of the various journals and pointing out the fact that they have very clearly printed lies. They seem to have become very uncomfortable about it.

I had an acknowledgement from the Sunday Times. Letters (!) editor Stephen Bleach responded: “Thanks for your email concerning Gabriel Pogrund’s article. We will carefully consider your points and I will come back to you in due course.” Fair enough. It means that – probably right now – highly-paid people working for the Murdoch paper are trying to find holes in my argument.

Good luck with that, guys. Facts are facts.

And if you’re a new reader thinking that the papers actually published the facts, read this.

Now that everybody reading this knows what’s been said about me and why it isn’t true, let’s consider the response from the Israel National News. I sent that particular publication the facts and it published them in a new article:

“UK Labour activist Mike Sivier clarifies comments he made on his website that led to his suspension from Labour party,” the article states. No, I didn’t. The suspension of my membership of the Labour Party arose from comments made on the Campaign Against Antisemitism’s website, not mine. So I’ve had to write again, pointing out that they haven’t apologised, haven’t corrected their original article, and haven’t retracted it – and I’m going to have to seek legal advice on my next steps if they don’t.

Think that’s bad? Check out the following email from Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle:

“Having re read the piece, in the contect of your email, I accept that the reference to your book may be inaccurate. We will change that.

“I also see that there may new context to the Holocaust denial allegation – although it is of course correct that this is one reason you have been suspended, even if you dispute the basis for the suspenstion.

“I will have the piece changed to include your own explanation.

“I see no reason to change the words describing your comments about Tam Dalyell’s statement.”

Not good enough. I didn’t request changes; I requested an apology because this so-called newspaper printed lies about me. The online version is still printing lies about me.

So I responded:

“Thank you for your prompt response to my email. I am afraid it is unacceptable.

“Your article claims that I have done things that I have not done – as I have demonstrated by showing you exactly what was done. You must apologise, print a correction, and retract the piece – or I will be seeking legal advice on the next steps I must take.

“The reason you must retract the words describing my comments about Tam Dalyell’s statement is that they are misleading. Without pointing out that I said it could cause people concern to hear such a statement without further information, you are changing the meaning of my words.

“Allow me to remind you that defamation is a very serious matter, and falsely suggesting that a person is a Holocaust denier is one of its most serious forms. The fact that this libel appears in a publication entitled the Jewish Chronicle compounds the seriousness of it still further.

“Let me know where I can find your apology, correction and retraction.”

Of course, The Sun appears to be irredeemable. After I complained about one article, it published another with the same claims.

So it seems there may be a big lawsuit on the way. I’m already researching how to crowdfund for legal advice. In the meantime, I’m extremely grateful to those of you who have made donations since the Sunday Times dropped its little spite bomb.

If any of you haven’t donated and want to – or if any of you want to donate again, the ‘donate’ box is below the text of the article. I’ll publicise details of any crowdfunding plan as they become clear.

The amount of support I have received from friends, readers of This Site – and a large number of people who don’t know me at all but sympathise with my situation – has been phenomenal.


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23 Comments

  1. Dainer February 7, 2018 at 3:22 am - Reply

    This is a great piece of undercover journalism. The antisemitism propaganda comes straight from the israeli government due to JC links to Palestine. It gets passed on to the embassy, then on to LFI and finally spread by the RW MPs

    http://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/thelobby/

  2. Thomas February 7, 2018 at 7:52 am - Reply

    I am not sure about all of the publications you mention but I am sure that you can find a lawyer to work pro bono on a case against the S*n.

  3. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) February 7, 2018 at 7:56 am - Reply

    Keep up the pressure Mike; these bullies are not used to people with stamina.

  4. Damo February 7, 2018 at 8:29 am - Reply

    Telling lies destroys lives I’m really pleased to see your winning and will be vindicated mike keep fighting…. People really love to tell the worst of the worst in regards to bulls**t slander years ago I myself was the victim of the absolutely the worst of the worst kind of twisted bulls**t and slander I became the witch for burning and a pariah…. Thankfully the perpetrator was caught out as a serial s**t stirrer and pathological liar and practically run out of town.. I went through the fire just as you have. But my final vindication… Was so sweet just as yours will be……damo xx

  5. Damo February 7, 2018 at 9:41 am - Reply

    My final word mike.. There are no winners it’s all just sad and it’s easy to get bitter and vengefull don’t……. What goes around comes around.

  6. Roland Laycock February 7, 2018 at 10:03 am - Reply

    Just goes to show you can’t trust the media

  7. Ellie Guest February 7, 2018 at 10:30 am - Reply
  8. G Millward February 7, 2018 at 1:20 pm - Reply

    Well done Mike and as always you know where I am if you need any help.
    I did tell anybody who would listen that they had picked on the wrong one when they picked on you … something I think these newspapers are about to find out.

  9. Martin Odoni February 7, 2018 at 1:31 pm - Reply

    “Thanks for your email concerning Gabriel Pogrund’s article. We will carefully consider your points and I will come back to you in due course.”

    That response sounds a bit generic. :-/

  10. Brian February 7, 2018 at 2:30 pm - Reply

    Having read the reports about you in the Sunday Times by Gabriel Pogrund & the Sun newspaper concerning your approach to the holocaust, I am now forming the opinion that you may well be (are) antisemitic, particularly in the light of support of these allegations from the Jewish Chronicle. Newspapers would not print such outright lies, ask yourself why would they, no, it must be true. I am just one of your site readers, but all I speak to are of the same opinion, and very much more condemning of you than I am. Mike Sivier, you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. No apology can right your blatant disregard for the victims you slur and you deserve everything these newspapers and organisations throw at you.

    • Mike Sivier February 7, 2018 at 2:43 pm - Reply

      Have you taken leave of your senses?
      As I have pointed out on This Site – repeatedly – the allegations in the newspapers are nothing but lies.
      They aren’t based on anything I’ve written but on a lying article that was written about me, twisting my words.
      You can see my actual words by visiting the original articles and comment columns in which they were published.
      In the light of all that, are you seriously telling everybody on This Site that you are so weak-minded you are willing to accept the newspapers’ side, just because they said it?

      • Looby February 7, 2018 at 3:12 pm - Reply

        Brian above appears to be deliberately trying to provoke you Mike.
        He also appears to be attempting to ‘sow the seeds of doubt’.

        I am inclined to think he is a deliberate plant trying to destabilise support and knock your confidence.

        To Brian – go get a life. I think your behaviour and opinions just show you up to be some form of brainwashed numbskull who cant think for himself. You might want to go educate yourself before posting such nonsense!

        To me you look very silly indeed……..and for a very brief moment I felt pity for you and your apparent lack of ability to think and evaluate critically, but the moment very speedily passed……

        • Mike Sivier February 7, 2018 at 4:39 pm - Reply

          Brian has been commenting here for a considerable time, so I’m not sure he’s a plant.

      • JohnDee February 8, 2018 at 2:51 am - Reply

        DFTT – they get a bonus when you press the reply button!
        https://theintercept.com/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/

  11. Brian February 7, 2018 at 6:52 pm - Reply

    So, what you gonna do, sue me for damages!

    • Mike Sivier February 7, 2018 at 7:14 pm - Reply

      No. I’ll just de-platform you.

  12. Vlad Trotsky February 7, 2018 at 8:33 pm - Reply

    Knowing the lengths that right wingers will go to silence dissent, I’ve been keeping an eye on the blogs and FB pages of some of your more verbal critics. You know, the usual suspects, Richard Angell, Luke Akehurst, Adrian McMenamin et al. Typical to form they have repeated or reposted the lies and smears against you.
    Their aim, as far as I can see, is to completely ruin your reputation and that of the left as a whole. They know that these types of lies and smears are an attack on the very soul of the left, therefore my only conclusion is that they are agents of the hard right.
    Wolves in sheeps clothing.

  13. Pat Sheehan February 7, 2018 at 10:16 pm - Reply

    Poor old Brian: lost the plot!!!

  14. Pat Sheehan February 7, 2018 at 10:17 pm - Reply

    And it wasn’t that complicated!!!

  15. anonymous February 7, 2018 at 10:47 pm - Reply

    Sending my solidarity to you Mike, you’ve always stood up for the sick and disabled, am appreciative of your work, your courage and ethics.

    The people who know you know the truth, so try not to let it get you down.

    • Mike Sivier February 8, 2018 at 1:57 am - Reply

      Thanks!

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