And yet the Daily Mail was not alone in its obsequious coverage. You will have struggled to find a single mention anywhere in all the tributes paid to him that he was a racist — a man who spat out, ‘‘Here we are, the Jews again’’, when Louise Ellman rose to speak in the Commons.
It would be comforting to think that this was an oversight. But that would be misplaced. Sir Gerald represented a type that continues to be given a free pass in much of the media and political life: the Jew who is contemptuous of other Jews and feels the need to express that contempt at every opportunity, most often in relation to Israel.
Sir Gerald was entitled to his view of Israel. He was not entitled to his view of Jews.
Oscar winners
Jordan Horowitz, the producer of La La Land, has — quite rightly — been praised for the grace and dignity of his response to the news that his Oscar was…well, not his, after all.
It is difficult to imagine a more gut-wrenching moment for a film producer than being announced as the winner of the greatest accolade in the industry, performing the ritual thank you speeches, and then being told it was all a mistake.
But after his generous and spontaneous response, and his warm words in handing the Oscar to Moonlight, his reputation has surely emerged as an even bigger winner.
