BBC's Continual Double Standard

[Teddy Bear]

Into the new year, but it's clear that the BBC has made no resolutions to redress their anti-Israeli bias. Honest Reporting comments on the following double standard displayed by the Beeb.

DOUBLE STANDARDS - PROVING OUR POINT

In all of the above cases, the media failed to verify Palestinian claims, placing ultimate trust in "Palestinian eyewitnesses" or so-called "human rights" organizations that are actually Palestinian advocacy groups. All too often the media is happy to accept, without question, the Palestinian version of the story. And yet, we never see the Palestinian narrative described as "propaganda".

The current conflict is also taking place on the airwaves, in the printed press and online. Israeli spokespeople have quite legitimately taken the initiative to get the message out during the Gaza operation. The effectiveness (particularly when compared with past operations) has itself created news stories in some media outlets.

But why does the BBC's Paul Reynolds consider the Israeli message to be "propaganda?" And why does he treat IDF video sources with such skepticism, particularly in stark contrast to Palestinian sources? Instead Reynolds states:

The Israeli propaganda effort is being directed to achieve two main aims.

The first is to justify the air attacks. The second is to show that there is no humanitarian calamity in Gaza.

Both these aims are intended to place Israel in a strong position internationally and to enable its diplomacy to act as an umbrella to fend off calls for a ceasefire while the military operation unfolds.

Israel has pursued the first aim by being very active in getting its story across that Hamas is to blame. The sight of Hamas rockets streaking into Israel has been helpful in this respect.

It has also allowed trucks in with food aid and has stressed that it will not let people starve, even if they go short.

Israel appears to think its efforts are working.

One of its spokespeople, who has regularly appeared on the international media, Major Avital Leibovich, said: "Quite a few outlets are very favourable to Israel."

Why is this a "propaganda effort" and why should Israel have to justify defending its citizens against Hamas rocket attacks?

[steevo]

Well I'm up late and have had a few beers on this one. Excuse me for my bluntness. I am sad for Israel. I could wish Hamas reaped their will upon Mr. Reynolds and his BBC cohorts.

"Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and spiritual head of Hamas, declared that Israel must 'disappear from the map.' He added: 'We have an aim and an enemy, and we shall continue our jihad against the enemy. A nation without a jihad is a nation without a purpose.'" www.andrewbostom.org/blog/2009/01/01/heeding-david-littman-confronting-hamas%e2%80%99-genocidal-jew-hatred-part-1/

Here's a good site for anyone interested in [glow=red,2,300]Israel's [/glow] ongoing accoun... idfspokesperson.com/. Note the substantial humanitarian efforts into Gaza.


thankyou Teddy

[Teddy Bear]

You know Steevo, I've recently moved address and now can't get the usual independant talk radio station I used to listen to. So if I want talk radio I have to listen to the beeb, and get their news broadcasts. They so get my goat with their one-sided coverage of this conflict that it's left to a classical station to 'soothe the savage breast'.

[steevo]

Sometimes I have enjoyed big band-type oldies and jazz for a similar purpose, I think? I've considered it an escape from the lack of justice

[Teddy Bear]

Here's another case in point;
'Witnesses' have gone to the UN and accused Israel of shelling a place they had filled with civilians the day before. Israel checked the story and denied it as they had had no soldiers in that area on that day. The UN have accepted the witnesses version of events however and condemned Israel. Bearing in mind it's common knowledge that Hamas do have accidents with their armaments, usually situated in built up civilian areas to lessen the possibility of reprisal, and it's not the first time that explosions have been self made.

So one side claims something that is unsubstantiated by the other, without any proof, yet the UN accepts it as the truth, and the BBC is happy to run it as news.

Where's my classical station?

Israel 'shelled civilian shelter'

Israel's offensive in Gaza has been under way for nearly two weeks
Israeli forces shelled a house in the Gaza Strip which they had moved around 110 Palestinians into 24 hours earlier, the UN quotes witnesses as saying.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called it "one of the gravest incidents" since the beginning of the offensive.

The shelling at Zeitoun, a south-east suburb of Gaza City, on 5 January killed some 30 people, the report said.

Israel says it has looked into the allegations and they are unfounded.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said no Israeli soldiers had been in the area on the day the incident was supposed to have happened.

The OCHA report said: "According to several testimonies, on 4 January Israeli foot soldiers evacuated approximately 110 Palestinians into a single-residence house in Zeitoun (half of whom were children) warning them to stay indoors.

"Twenty-four hours later, Israeli forces shelled the home repeatedly, killing approximately 30."

The UN said those who survived and were able walked 2km to the main north-south road to be transported to hospital in civilian vehicles.

"Three children, the youngest of whom was five months old, died upon arrival at the hospital," the report said.

'No safe haven'

Allegra Pacheco, of OCHA in Jerusalem, said they were not accusing the Israelis of a deliberate act, but said the incident needed to be investigated.

She also said they were concerned at claims by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that ambulances were only allowed access to the neighbourhood on Thursday - four days after the alleged incident.

The ICRC on Thursday accused Israel of failing to fulfil its duty to help wounded civilians in Gaza.

"In Gaza, there is a severe protection of civilians crisis. There is no safe haven, no safe space, for all the civilians, particularly children," Ms Pacheco told the BBC.

"Since the ground operation, the number of children killed has risen by 250%."

An estimated 770 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have died in nearly two weeks of Israel's air and ground offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The UN Security Council has called for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.