WikiLeaks

Julian Assange Caught in 'Jewish Conspiracy' Row

Denies comments to British magazine.

The British magazine Private Eye is satirical but this doesn't appear to be a joke: It has published an article in which editor Ian Hislop says WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accused Jewish journalists of conspiring against him. It began, Hislop says, when Assange called him to complain about a Private Eye article about Israel Shamir, a WikiLeaks associate in Russia who denies the Holocaust. Assange said Private Eye was trying to deprive him of Jewish support, and then, according to Hislop, said he was the victim of "part of a conspiracy led by the Guardian which included journalist David Leigh, editor Alan Rusbridger and John Kampfner from Index on Censorship–all of whom 'are Jewish.'" Hislop says he pointed out that Rusbridger is not Jewish, but Assange insisted Rusbridge was “sort of Jewish” because he is brothers-in-law with Leigh. The conversation ended with Assange saying to “forget the Jewish thing.” Assange denies Hislop’s story, calling it “completely false, in spirit and in word.”