The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) slammed the British National Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Tuesday, after the British group passed a resolution that called for a boycott of Israeli products. The ADL condemned the measure and called it "highly politicized and blatantly biased."

The April 13 resolution was approved during the NUJ's Annual Delegate's Meeting, in a vote of 66 to 54, and called for sanctions and a proposed boycott of Israeli products. The resolution condemned Israel for "the savage pre-planned attack on Lebanon" and the "slaughter of civilians in Gaza."

In a letter to NUJ Secretary General Jeremy Dear, the ADL wrote that the resolution "violates the basic tenet of journalism - objectivity" and contradicts the union's own code of conduct, which calls for journalists to "eliminate distortion" and to ensure that "the information he/she disseminates is fair and accurate."

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ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman and ADL National Chair Glen S. Lewy said in a statement that "it is shocking that a group representing journalists could approve such a highly politicized and blatantly biased statement, which is at odds with their profession's mandate to remain objective and unbiased observers."

Lewy and Foxman also slammed the NUJ resolution, maintaining it "shockingly disregards key facts of the complex Arab-Israeli conflict, including Hezbollah's aggression against Israeli in July 2006 and its seizure of Israeli soldiers from sovereign Israeli territory."

The union's action comes after additional recent attempts by UK-based groups to encourage boycotts against Israel, including the Association of University Teachers, and Ireland's state-sponsored academy of creative artists Aosdana. Both groups initially voted on boycotts and to "end all cooperation" with Israel, but later abandoned their original motions.