Clueless on Gaza – eloquent challenge on BBC
Time and again those who support justice for Palestinians are expected to condemn Hamas and Israel’s advocates are not asked to condemn the pummeling of Gaza. On the Today programme (October 16th 2023) Nour Odeh was clear, she said the attack was extremely violent but when asked again “will you say it was wrong?”, she addressed the imbalance clearly and well.
As she said, for us, this did not start on Saturday 7th October but has been daily for decades.
The Palestinian Ambassador, Husam Zomlot, has eloquently made similar points; for example when interviewed immediately after an interview with Israeli spokesperson Mark Regev, he asked why Mark Regev was not asked to condemn the pounding of Gaza, while he was asked to condemn the actions of Hamas. It seems even when challenged strongly on Israel’s actions Israeli spokespeople are never asked to condemn Israel’s bombardment,.
As Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tsipi Hotoveley, on that Today programme, Regev put all the responsibility for innocent Palestinian civilian deaths on Hamas. This formulation has been repeated ad infinitum by Israeli spokespeople without challenge by the mainstream media.
The reality is, according to the Israeli Air Force, that in the first five days of the war some 6,000 bombs have been fired by Israel on Gaza. To put this into perspective, in the 2014-19 campaign against Isis, the US-UK coalition dropped between 2,000 and 5,000 bombs a month across Iraq and Syria. There has been no let up since.
This map illustrates the size of Gaza:
No one ever seems to bring up the vile behaviour of the Zionist settlers.
Palestinians have to put up with their harassment and continual vandalism, on a daily basis.
Not to mention the behaviour of Jewish/Zionist children towards Christian pilgrims visiting their Holy places. If ever there was a case for making Jerusalem an International City, that is it.
As it stands, Zionist settlers are no more than feral, armed football hooligans, protected by the Israeli authorities.
The BBC is being attacked by Zionists because it does not describe Hamas as ‘terrorists’.
One of the first definitions that comes up when Googling for a definition of terrorist/terrorism is this:
“One who favors or uses terrorizing methods for the accomplishment of some object, as for coercing a government or a community into the adoption of or submission to a certain course; one who practises terrorism.”
Some would suggest that Israel, which was founded by terrorists 75 years ago and has been terrorising Palestinians ever since, fits this definition perfectly!
Could that have anything to do with the BBC’s decision???
Israel should be added to the proscribed terrorist list.
I have commented on this elsewhere, but it’s important. “As Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tsipi Hotoveley, on that Today programme, Regev put all the responsibility for innocent Palestinian civilian deaths on Hamas. This formulation has been repeated ad infinitum by Israeli spokespeople without challenge by the mainstream media”.
I would point Ms Hotovely in the direction of the “Washington Past” article of 30th July 2014. It gives clear evidence that Hamas is in fact the creation of the Israeli state. Therefore, responsibility for some of the damage inflicted by Hamas must be laid at Israel’s door! Or will they dispute the “Post”? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/07/30/how-israel-helped-create-hamas/
I noticed at the outset – 7th/8th Oct – that BBC journalists who know what’s what on the ground were clearly very knowledgeable and understood where power and wrongdoing lay. Their reporting on that first weekend was better than I have ever heard it before. Indeed, the one who fascinated me was Frank Gardiner, Security Editor, who I have always regarded as a brave but very right wing establishment upper crust correspondent, with a very ‘security/secret service’ mindset. I no longer remember what he said (I think he was talking about Israel’s military/security failures, and hence, responsibility, on the Gaza border) – but it was faultless. While radio and television presenters are dire, with a concept of ‘balance’ that I have never been able to identify much less comprehend, people on the ground DO know their stuff. I am guessing they are really under the cosh at the BBC as to what they can say.
Hamas was voted in because it was advocating a peace deal with Israel if it returned to the original borders but Israel refused. Not only did it refuse it has taken more and more Palestinian land every year and the Settlers are becoming more violent against the Palestinian Villagers and Farmers and none of this is ever mentioned by the BBC.
This relentlessness land theft, the killings and beating of Palestinians must have been the driving force for Hamas to make this violent attack, which for Palestinians living in Gaza has turned out to be a serious disaster.
yes while any form of of what is called terriorism by Hamas, is to be condemned it has to be said that Isreal has been using various forms of terriorism increasingly over the last 16 yrs> At some point there was going to be a responce of some sort I guess. Its sad and terrable what happened. The full details have not yet been seen and clarified.
Isreal and IDF have been brutaly beating inprisoning Palestine children for throwing stones. now they are killing thousends of them.
The MSM always starts do you condemn Hamas .. It should also be saying Do you condemn Isreal .. that is never heard as far as I know.
The stealing of Palestine property and land is never addressed by BBC ITV or any of MSM although the Guardien despite Freedland has been showing signs that it is beginning to recognise this. Not much in Observor .
I believe that Starmers wife who is a zionist has property on the stolen lands. Poor chap. The more sensible parts of Labour party who are starting challenge the no cease fire mantra that Starmers has been has been shouting. But talk about a catch 22.