The Canadian Jewish News has issued a “further clarification” about a speech given by British actor Peter Ustinov last September in which he was reported to have denounced Premier Menachem Begin of Israel as a former terrorist and Israel’s policy toward the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The report of his speech, which he gave Sept 15 to the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, was carried on the front page of the newspaper Oct. 4, An article based on The Canadian Jewish News account also appeared in the Oct. 17 issue of the Daily News Bulletin.
In its “further clarification,” The Canadian Jewish News said it ” is satisfied” that the report of Ustinov’s speech, which was “communicated” to the newspaper “as quotations” by its reporter on the basis of talks with two of the approximately 50 Jewish account ants among the 2000 people attending the convention, was “inaccurate.”
It added: “The Canadian Jewish News is satisfied that Mr. Ustinov made no’ anti-Semitic remarks. Canadian Jewish News did not intend to imply that he did.” The paper also carried the text of his entire speech which it obtained after the initial report appeared in the paper.
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