Turmoil at the BBC over Gaza reporting
JVL Introduction
In the last few weeks reports have emerged over serious unrest among BBC staff at its coverage of the war on Gaza.
We knew that a BBC correspondent based in Beirut, Rami Ruhayem, had written to the Director General with his concerns, but only excerpts of his complaint were published.
Jadaliyya, an independent ezine produced by the Arab Studies Institute, has now published the whole letter and we repost it below.
Among the criticisms made are the BBC’s failure to reflect the serious discussion taking place among experts as to whether Israel is guilty of genocide; the liberal use of words like ‘massacre’, ‘slaughter’, and ‘atrocities’ in reference to Hamas, but hardly, if ever, in relation to Israel’; the generally easy ride given on air to Israeli or Western officials; the fact that experts whom the BBC normally defer to use three terms: apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and settler-colonialism to analyse the context the current events – unreflected in the BBC’s coverage.
The letter concludes, with careful understatement: “[I]t appears that the BBC is keeping a lot of highly significant and relevant information, including extensive evidence, expert opinion, and historical context, from the public.”
RK
This article was originally published by Jadaliyya on Wed 1 Nov 2023. Read the original here.
Turmoil at the BBC: "Gravest Possible Concerns" at Its Gaza Coverage
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The letter speaks for itself.
Possibly the one thing that Rami Ruhayem missed out was what Netanyahu
said on 28 October “You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible”
In 1 Samuel 15:3, God tells the prophet Samuel to instruct King Saul to “go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsT6bE2NcO8
This was on Sky News but as far as I’m aware the BBC hasn’t mentioned it. The intent is clear and it is genocidal
Quite simply there is nothing to add to this very clear and accurate description of what is going on.
The BBC News coverage of events in Gaza/ Israel since October 7th, within the UK is absolutely appalling for the reasons given in the letter.
Well done for this research, but good luck with any challenge to the BBC.
It sees itself these days as supporting a national status quo, holding a kind of centrist common ground, holding the ship steady against turbulence all around. It’s a modern take on the old term “common sense”. It acts as the voice of the reasonable middle, as it would define it. Nick Robinson, on radio 4’s Today programme can hardly spit out the words “settler colonial” as he describes how a Liberal MP has dared to describe Israel. He couldn’t possible imagine what the words might mean. It’s like listening to your granny being accused of shoplifting. How dare you?
But Israel neither cares nor intends to go anywhere near what the British might define as moderation. It is motivated by the post-traumatic shock of realising that the Gazans can’t just be forever ignored and assumed to be besieged into submission, as they slowly sink into their arid, powerless, emptiness. Many of the Israelis being interviewed or quoted just want the beasts punished, neutralised, or do-what-you-want with them.
The size of the rallies, the variety of attenders and their ubiquity in the world is tremendously uplifting. Tired of the post-Johnson high jinks and the Whitehall farce, we in Britain just may be remembering that some things are worth fighting for.
BBC public news presentation, as on television, is inherently biased. in the way that has been described here. The BBC is reflecting the establishment view, as presented by the mass media as a whole, which sadly happens to be the view of both the Conservative government and the current Labour opposition. It is a false presentation, of course. It is troubling how it is imposed upon us.
This is why I get all my information from the Aljazeera news channel and your site of course. The BBC has always had bias, they are the the mouth piece of our right wing government with advice from the Israel Lobby.
Yes, just yes exactly. The BBC have descended to their lowest point.
My comments deleted as I wrote a particular long word. i was then permitted to write this below
Congratulations on an accurate and detailed account of the BBC and the situation as it is. I do hope you retain your position, being a man of insight and high grade writing ability. although long-winded. Ted