Exclusive: UK press regulator IPSO 'carefully reviewing developments at the Jewish Chronicle'

IPSO, the UK Independent Press Standards Organisation, has reacted to the unfolding scandal at The Jewish Chronicle, the world's oldest Jewish newspaper, telling The New Arab it is looking at the situation and is ready to intervene.

“We are carefully reviewing developments at the Jewish Chronicle," the regulator told The New Arab in an e-mailed statement.

"As regulator, IPSO’s role is to protect high editorial standards to promote a robust and trusted newspaper, magazine and digital news industry. We are ready to intervene where we have concerns about standards issues," it added.

On Tuesday, a group of individuals who previously won IPSO adjudications and libel complaints against the Jewish Chronicle called for the regulator to launch a standards investigation, according to the Press Gazette.

The group of ten shared a letter on the Twitter account of Joe Bird, saying “We believe that the Perry case, which is of global and vital significance, should weigh very heavily in IPSO’s considerations. Like almost all of the 40-odd recorded breaches of the IPSO code by the Jewish Chronicle in the last six years, and like those rcen cases labelled as resolved by mediation, this scandal is a failure to take due care over accuracy.”

The UK's Jewish Chronicle newspaper earlier axed a freelance journalist who wrote articles including an attention-grabbing story suggesting Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar intended to leave Gaza for Iran with Israeli captives.

The now-removed Jewish Chronicle (JC) report, published on 5 September, said "intelligence sources" had "told the JC that Sinwar's plan was to smuggle himself and the remaining Hamas leaders along with Israeli hostages" into Egypt and on to Iran.

The information was "reportedly revealed during the interrogation of a captured senior Hamas official, as well as by information obtained from documents seized on Thursday, August 29", according to the JC article.

Questions had been raised about the JC article and Perry's background, particularly after the Israeli army stated they had no knowledge of such information.

Israeli sources reportedly called the paper's assertions a "wild fabrication".

The JC announced in a Friday statement that it had completed an investigation into Elon Perry, the journalist who wrote the story.

"The Jewish Chronicle has concluded a thorough investigation into freelance journalist Elon Perry, which commenced after allegations were made about aspects of his record," the newspaper said.

"While we understand he did serve in the [Israeli military], we were not satisfied with some of his claims.

"We have therefore removed his stories from our website and ended any association with Mr Perry."

The JC said it "maintains the highest journalistic standards in a highly contested information landscape", adding that it "deeply regrets the chain of events that led to this point".

The Jewish Chronicle describes itself as the "world's oldest and most influential Jewish newspaper" and was established more than 180 years ago.

The Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland said he was cutting his relationship with The JC in a letter to the newspaper's editor posted on social media platform X.

"The latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper – publishing fabricated stories and showing only the thinnest form of contrition," Freedland said.