UK's Jewish Chronicle ends cooperation with reporter accused of fake news about Hamas chief Sinwar

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The Jewish Chronicle, the oldest Jewish publication in the United Kingdom, has terminated its collaboration with its contributing freelance reporter Elon Perry after he fabricated a story about Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar planning to smuggle Israeli hostages from Gaza to Iran.

The London-based Jewish weekly became suspicious of Perry after an Israeli military spokesperson revealed that the military had no knowledge of the document on which Perry claimed to have based his article.

While Perry did not mention any specific names, he claimed to have received sensitive information from a senior Israeli official, with some believing that the source was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Furthermore, Perry claimed in his biography that he had served as an IDF commando during the famous Entebbe Raid in July 1976, when Israeli special forces saved some 100 Israeli and Jewish hostages held by Arab and German terrorists at the airport in Uganda. Netanyahu’s brother Yonatan Netanyahu who led the Israeli forces during the raid, lost his life while rescuing the hostages. In addition, Perry claimed that he was a professor at the Tel Aviv University.

However, the British news outlet questioned the accuracy of Perry's reported background.

“The Jewish Chronicle has concluded a thorough investigation into freelance journalist Elon Perry, which commenced after allegations were made about aspects of his record. While we understand he did serve in the Israel Defense Forces, we were not satisfied with some of his claims,” the paper wrote on its online website. “We have therefore removed his stories from our website and ended any association with Mr Perry.”

Elon Perry, whose real name is Eli Yifrach, verbally attacked an Israeli reporter who exposed his identity and dubious story.

“You are a monster, a maniac, a liar. I don’t understand who created you. I wish Hamas would kill you, you are unnecessary in Israeli society,” Perry reportedly told the Israeli reporter during a phone conversation.

The controversial freelance reporter Perry said he had no regrets and hurled accusations at the Jewish Chronicle.

“No, I have no regrets. You should be the one who is regretful. The guardians and all those who published until now, they are people like you – bloodthirsty,” Perry said, referring to The Guardian, a left-wing British paper that covered the scandal and is often criticized for its biased Middle East reporting and stance toward Israel.

“So then why did they fire you?” the Israeli reporter asked, addressing the Chronicle.

“This is my deal with them. They needed to write what they wrote in order to satisfy you and the others,” Perry argued.

In February, former Guardian Chief Editor Alan Rusbridger wrote a controversial column in "The Independent," where he claimed that “horrors of 7 October did not happen in a vacuum so why has it become unsayable?”

In addition, Rusbridger accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza while ignoring that Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, a war crime under international law.