BBC Ignores Father and Child Killed by Stones

[Teddy Bear]

When you read this topic subject, did you think, even for a moment that it would be a Palestinian father and child that was killed as a result of Israeli stone throwers? Probably not, because by now we know the BBC would hardly omit a story like that.

The BBC have used every opportunity this week to portray the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN, as that of a poor and desperate would be nation, just trying to live in peace with its cruel and unjust neighbours who just want to steal more and more land from them, and preventing them from the peaceful productive harmonious lives they crave.

Notwithstanding, the BBC didn't include a few articles where Palestinian demonstrators had been injured or killed this week in their 'enthusiasm', and one in particular who had been involved with a group throwing stones at Israelis. The BBC presented it to show that stone throwers are almost harmless compared to the might of the Israel army.

Any mention of this however doesn't appear on their website:

Members of Zaka carry the body of Yonatan Palmer away from the scene of a car crash near Hebron
Members of the Israeli emergency service Zaka carry the body of Yonatan Palmer away from the scene of a car crash near the West Bank city of Hebron September 23, 2011. Israeli police said on Sunday they suspect the crash, in which Jewish settler Asher Palmer and his one-year-old son Yonatan were killed, was caused by stone-throwers who showered the car with rocks, causing the driver to lose control and the car to overturn when he was hit by a sharp object.

Poor peace-loving Palestinians

[Teddy Bear]

The first mention of this story by the BBC occurs a few days ago following a revenge attack by Israeli settlers on a Palestinian mosque.

Notice a burned mosque is worthy of an article by the BBC, but not the murder of a father and infant child. The only reason it is mentioned here is because the mosque arsonists scrawled the name of the Israeli victims on its walls, otherwise the BBC would have continued to ignore it.

Mosque in northern Israel in 'price tag' arson attack

A mosque in northern Israel has been torched and sprayed with graffiti, in a suspected attack by Jewish extremists.

Hundreds of residents from the village of Tuba-Zangariya marched in protest against the attack, and there were reports of clashes with the police.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was "outraged" by images from the village.

Police said it appeared to be a "price tag" attack - a reference to a violent campaign by Jewish settlers.

The attack on the mosque happened in the early hours of Monday.

"The whole mosque was burnt - the carpet, the books, the Korans, all burnt," the village imam, Fuad Zangariya, told Israel's Army Radio.

The words "Revenge", "Price Tag" and "Palmer" were reported to have been written in Hebrew on the mosque walls.

The latter was an apparent reference to a car crash on 23 September in which Israeli settler Asher Palmer and his one-year-old son were killed after Palestinians threw stones at their car.

Today Israeli police arrested 2 Palestinians for throwing the rocks that resulted in the deaths of this father and child. So the BBC cover this with this headlline Israel arrests Palestinian suspects in settler deaths
I can't think of any instance when a Palestinian child has been killed, even up to the age of 20, that it doesn't somehow figure into the headline. yet a child of under one year is now 'a settler'.

Most of the article soon reverts back to focus on the mosque arson attack.

Israel arrests Palestinian suspects in settler deaths

Police in Israel have announced the arrest of two West Bank Palestinians accused of killing two Israeli settlers by throwing stones at their car.

The car driven by Asher Palmer and carrying is his infant son crashed near Hebron last month.

The arrests were announced after police said they were holding a Jewish youth over an arson attack on an mosque.

That attack, in an Arab village in northern Israel, appeared to be in retaliation for the Palmers' deaths.

As well as the two Palestinians arrested for throwing the stones that caused the Palmers' car to crash, three other Palestinians were arrested for taking a gun from the car after the crash.

Police said they had recovered the weapon.

Initially, the Israeli army issued a statement that the crash on 23 September had been the result of an accident.

Israeli police later revised this, concluding that the car came off the road after rocks had been thrown at the vehicle.

'Price tag' attack
The torching of the mosque in the northern Israeli village of Tuba-Zangariya, appeared to be in retaliation for the deaths of the Palmers.

The words "revenge", "price tag" and "Palmer" were reported to have been written in Hebrew on the mosque walls.

There has been a spate of similar "price tag" attacks recently, carried out by suspected Jewish extremists against Palestinians in an attempt to deter the Israeli government from closing West Bank settlements.

Israeli media reported that an Israeli who was studying at a religious seminary at a West Bank settlement had been arrested over the mosque arson attack.

The settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Their presence is a major obstacle to peace talks as the Palestinians insist Israel freeze settlement building before renewing negotiations.

[Teddy Bear]

I noticed an interesting inclusion on the BBC Arabic version of this story, as compared to the English.

Most people reading the BBC English website will have noticed the statement that goes into every article related to Israel and the West Bank wherein:
The settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Their presence is a major obstacle to peace talks as the Palestinians insist Israel freeze settlement building before renewing negotiations.

In the Arabic version however - as translated by Google, the BBC goes on to elaborate a bit further:

And those settlements are illegal in the eyes of international law, but Israel disputes this claiming it expands naturally in the housing projects to meet the increase in the number of its citizens.
The presence of settlements a thorny obstacle to the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, who insist on the cessation of settlement activity before the resumption of negotiation

Note this line 'Israel disputes this claiming it expands naturally in the housing projects to meet the increase in the number of its citizens.' This 'claim' is not what Israel uses to justify building in the this area, but this 'in the absence of any compromises for peace by the Palestinians to achieve a final border status, doesn't see why it has to recognise one following the capture of territory in a defensive war. What the BBC 'claims' is only why Israel needs more housing in the area.

Also this line ' The presence of settlements a thorny obstacle to the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, who insist on the cessation of settlement activity before the resumption of negotiation ' is also a deception. Last year Israel had a 10 month building freeze in which the Palestinians failed to offer any concession for peace.

Stirring up hatred for Israel to satisfy its own agenda, matching that of the extremist Islamists and terrorists, that's the BBC.