4 December 2019

The New Zealand Jewish Council is alarmed and disappointed by the Broadcasting Standards Authority’s decision not to uphold a complaint from a member of the public over the use of the word ‘Jew’ as a racist slur.

The slur, aired on 13 June on Sky Sports’ show Kick-Off, was made by rugby player Bryn Hall. Hall was commenting on All Black Jack Goodhue, implying that he did not want to pay for his wedding, and so should get a red card for “being a Jew”.

New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses said, “The BSA’s decision is very disappointing and quite shocking. The use of the word ‘Jew’ in this context is obviously denigration, and drawn from a stereotype about stinginess and love of money that has caused the Jewish people harm over centuries. To hear it used casually in New Zealand in 2019 is distressing, but the fact that it did not result in censure by the BSA is especially concerning.

"The BSA said in its decision that there is no room in New Zealand for casual racism; we agree. We expect all our public institutions, including the BSA, to lead by example and show casual racism the red card”.

ends

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