CST 2016 Antisemitic Discourse Report calls out Daily Telegraph for “Shylock” smear.

CST’s 2016 Antisemitic Discourse report included an example of antisemitism in the mainstream British media. The article in question, published in February 2016 in the Daily Telegraph, characterised a well-known Jew who’s the founder of Elliott Management Hedge Fund as a 'latter day Shylock' - a reference to the antisemitic caricature from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

CST’s 2016 Antisemitic Discourse report included an example of antisemitism in the mainstream British media.  The article in question, published in February 2016 and written by Daily Telegraph assistant editor Jeremy Warner, was critical of Paul Singer, a well-known Jew who’s the founder of Elliott Management Hedge Fund, for refusing to accept a deal on debt relief.  

The original Daily Telegraph article opened thusly:

Latter day Shylocks at Elliott Management allowing, Argentina will soon have renewed access to international capital markets.”

Near the end of the article, Warner again evoked Shylock:

“Debt restructuring provides a fourth option, yet as both Argentina and Greece have discovered, the trouble with borrowed money is that adjusting its value takes difficult negotiation, frequently obstructed by aggressively litigious hedgies such as Mr Singer demanding their pound of flesh.”

The use of ’Shylocks‘ and ’pound of flesh‘ is of course a reference to the antisemitic caricature of Shylock from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

Shylock caricature in Greek political cartoon, 2015

Both Shylock references were removed after complaints from CST.  However, no apology, addendum or explanation of any kind was offered by Daily Telegraph editors.

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