TV comedian Frankie Boyle has written an open letter slamming the BBC governing body's "cowardly rebuke" of his jokes about Palestine. The former Mock The Week star described the corporation as a "great institution" which had become "cravenly afraid of giving offence". His remarks come in the wake of an apology made earlier this week by the BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee (ESC) over remarks made by Frankie two years ago. The funnyman then compared Palestine to a cake "being punched to pieces by a very angry Jew". A complainant wrote to the BBC calling the remarks "anti-Semitic" but took the matter to the Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) after being dissatisfied with the initial response. The ECU upheld the complaint in December 2008 calling the comment "inappropriate and offensive". Frankie also highlighted the BBC's decision not to air a charity appeal for aid to Gaza, which was criticised last year. "It's tragic for such a great institution but it is now cravenly afraid of giving offence and vulnerable to any kind of well drilled lobbying," he said.
