Melanie Phillips reports the BBC’s latest contribution to misunderstanding the Israeli-Palestinian situation. When the BBC fail to report the reality of the dangers faced by Israel and instead turns attention to the ‘feelings’ of the Palestinian people, you know you are getting the official BBC Mid-East interpretation. Truth is left by the wayside.
One more paving on the road of good intentions
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Mel: Ah yes, those innocent Gazans who just happen to be firing rockets into Israel and killing children
Yup, every single last Gazan. Even the kids. They all deserve whatever the Israeli army gives them.
Ah Melanie, a woman so unbiased on this issue that she refers to the ‘disputed territories’.
There’s plenty to criticise on the BBC’s coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict but quoting Ms Phillips really ain’t the way to preach to the unconverted.
OT: Now that Rumsfeld has voiced his doubts about Saddam’s contact with Al-Qaeda, the BBC rushes instantly into print with a fawning profile of “The Prince of Darkness”:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3690341.stm
Rummy-style American bluntness (ridiculed endlessly by the lefty EuroElite as cowboy talk, not “nuanced” etc.) now becomes admirable “frankness” and “straight talking.”
Jeebus, how predictable they are.
Re the OT
And I wonder how much coverage will be given to this story in contrast.
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200410\SPE20041004a.html
john b
THFC
Stick to the point
Shouldn’t the BBC be concerned about the Israeli’s ‘feelings’ as rockets fall among them indicriminately as well?
Yes it should – if indeed it wasn’t (I didn’t hear the report). It seems to me that the BBC frequently leans toward the ‘side’ of the plucky Palestinian underdogs but also falls into the perennial trap of skimming over Palestinian civilian casualties as though they don’t count as much as our democratic Israeli chums.
The only people who can genuinely say that one side is ‘right’ on this one are those simplistic cretins for whom the conflict can be nicely tied in to their overall political ideology (such as Mel). Rangers and Celtic fans now wave Israeli and Palestinian flags respectively at Auld Firm derbies which tells you all you need to know about how simplistic political symbolism has replaced complex reality.
I think it take a special type of cretin not to be able to/want to differentiate between the actions of murderous barbaric terrorists indiscriminately slaughtering innocent civilians and the targeted reponse of a democratically accountable army.
That Palestinian civilian casualties occur is, of course, as big a tragedy as Israelis, but it is not the AIM of the Israeli response to kill civilians. If it was they’d all be dead in a week. Furthermore these brave terrorists deliberatly hide in residential areas because they know the constraints that the Israelis put themselves under when hunting down the killers.
As for the Auld Firm thing you mention, just another good reason to give Scotland its independence I think.
Yoy – but the Israeli army represents and is subject to the will of the Israeli people, whereas the Palestinian terrorists oppress the Palestinian people and subject them to their will.
So ordinary Israelis are responsible for the army’s actions in a way that Palestinians are not responsible for the terrorists’ actions, just as anyone who voted Labour last time round bears responsibility (positively or negatively, depending on your perspective) for the invasion/liberation of Iraq.
The difference is important.
‘but the Israeli army represents and is subject to the will of the Israeli people’
That’s why targeted responses occur, or are you saying that Israel is wrong BECAUSE it tries to defend/protect its citizens?
‘that Palestinians are not responsible for the terrorists’ actions,’
So you mean to say Arafat sorry President/Chairman Arafat has nothing to do with it at all either?
I thought he represented the Palestinian’s cause.
Who is funding these terrorists then?
Where do their recruits come from?
I don’t see too many ‘not in my name marches’ from the Palestinans mind you.
Even if what you say is true its another reason to favour a democracy over terrorism which, getting back to the point, the BBC seem to have trouble with.
“just another good reason to give Scotland its independence”
The antics of a few auld firm morons are not admissable evidence for judging all 5m Scots.
As for ‘giving’ them their independence, given that we’re all in a political union (by consent in the case of the UK, in contrast to that other political union, the EU) it is for the constituent parts of that union to determine their status, not the other way around.
Devolution seems to have largely knackered the SNP anyway.
Speaking as a Scot who happily lives (and pays taxes) in England, there are certainly constitutional and fiscal issues to be resolved to ensure an equitable union and, hopefully, wean Scotland off of the welfare dependency that the left have engendered so well since, in my view, 1979 onwards (i.e. related to Scottish perceptions of the Thatcher government, peace and blessings be upon her!).
Anti American?
“Samarra peaceful after US blitz” (it follows if Bush=Hitler)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3718026.stm
“As Israel continues to strike at the Gaza Strip, Arabic papers warn that such action can only be counterproductive. One daily says viewers could be forgiven for confusing images of “butchery” in Gaza with those from Samarra and Falluja in Iraq.” (as all of the last sentence is quoting an Arabic newspaper why is only “butchery” in quotes? Perhaps the BBC is showing solidarity with the Arabs, but is not sure if US action is butchery.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3713258.stm
Andrew
Hear Hear
The UK is arguably the greatest example of a political and social union between differing ‘cultures’
But I’m for a coalition of the willing for the UK.
If enough Scots want out of the UK, they should be allowed to shouldn’t they?
That is democracy isn’t it?
On the other side, there is only so much ‘whinging’ and ‘sniping’ whilst all the time being subsidised that us sassenachs can/should take before the debate paradigm shifts.
And IF the majority of 48m English people want rid of Scotland,it will happen.
And on that subject…
I was watching a repeat of the Italia 90 semi final between England and Germany last night.
I was struck by the number of Union Jacks being waved by fans and a near total absence of St George crosses.
Compare that to what is seen at England games now.
Why is that I wonder?
“The UK is arguably the greatest example of a political and social union between differing ‘cultures'”
I think we’re all much of a muchness culturally (excepting those immigrants who colonise rather than integrate) – there are, and always have been, so many overlaps, crossovers and links between the people of the GB. The Scots are no more different from ‘the English’ than the north of England is from the south east or the south west etc. etc.
“And IF the majority of 48m English people want rid of Scotland,it will happen.”
But that’s an awfully big ‘IF’, even in capitals. The UK is far better, and far greater, as a whole, than the sum of its parts – and I think most of us, if we think about it, would agree – in fact, I’ll be shocked if the UK ever becomes even a little bit ‘balkanised’ in the way you suggest.
“I was struck by the number of Union Jacks being waved by fans and a near total absence of St George crosses. Compare that to what is seen at England games now.”169
I think we can chalk that down to greater awareness that the Union Flag is British rather than English – I still remember the days when the BBC carried news reports about Scottish football hooligans and British football hooligans…
The more enlightened we all are about our identity and the things that make us, the Brits, a people, the better 🙂
“The UK is far better, and far greater, as a whole, than the sum of its parts…”
Explain Wales then…
Before you ask, I fled “The Principality” and escaped to London.
Well, for all its faults (and which nation is without faults?), I like Wales too! It has some beautiful scenery and some friendly people (and like the rest of the UK it also has other people and scenery to balance things out!)
London is good too – I’ve lived in London for many years – but it is an absolute contrast with Wales (at least the bits I’m thinking of!).
‘I think we can chalk that down to greater awareness that the Union Flag is British rather than English’
So it’s OK that the English no longer associate or think themselves as British?
or perhaps it’s due to their greater awareness about Scotland…
over £1000 per head per year more than the English in government spending
– a disproportionately large representation at Westminster.
– a predominance of Scottish and Welsh MPs in UK ministerial positions.
– their own parliament and executive up in Scotland
– no requirement to ratify Scottish legislation in the house of Lords
– no English representation in the Scottish Parliament or Executive
– imposed top-up fees on English students when their constituents do not have to pay them.
– imposed foundation hospitals on England when the Scottish Parliament has rejected them for Scotland
Moot?
con’td
Plus there’s only so many times Bannockburn -1314!!- et al can be evoked before
the English weary of it or of the ‘anyone but England’ mentality in sport -even against Germany.
(I mention Germnany only because 60 years ago our struggle against it defined what the UK was all about)
It will be a shame if the UK breaks up and is something to be avoided, but it wasn’t the English who started pulling at the thread, but they are now
http://www.thecep.org.uk/index.shtml
And it won’t be England that suffers if it unravels
I don’t remember ever having a vote on whether I wanted England to continue to be part of the UK. Andrew, what do you mean by ‘in a political union by consent’?
I’m not convinced either that the UK is greater than the sum of its parts or that England couldn’t be a comparatively strong state in its own right. Any evidence for that statement?
Re: much of a muchness culturally – I’d agree that the cultural differences within the UK are less between the nations that between, say, city and countryside. As a Londoner I share far more culturally with the Berliners and New Yorkers I occasionally work with than with the people who were demonstrating outside Parliament the other week.
Yoy: So it’s OK that the English no longer associate or think themselves as British?
That is not what I said – I am sure they think of themselves as Brits as well – they have just come to realise that English is not the same as British – which is entirely reasonable.
Yoy: or perhaps it’s due to their greater awareness about Scotland… plus laundry list of grievances
These points, with which I agree in the main, are more to do with dishonest and unjust Labour policies – things that I have already said need to be addressed – than to do with Scotland per se.
As for Bannockburn etc., place yourself in the context of a small population of 5m people tacked on the side of a large population of 50m people – of course there are rivalries and jibes – mostly friendly – it’s all part of what makes Britain great, just as there are rivalries between other areas within England and within the UK.
I personally find the ‘anyone but England’ notion petty and immature (but it seems things are changing in that regard.
Anyway, if you’ll leave off this diversion for now I’ll get back to bashing the Beeb and you can avoid becoming a wannabe English version of Cllr. Wullie Leggatt.
Rich: I don’t remember ever having a vote on whether I wanted England to continue to be part of the UK. Andrew, what do you mean by ‘in a political union by consent’?
I don’t remember seeing your campaign for a referendum on the matter – but feel free to start one up if you feel strongly about it – we are a democracy after all! Until there is demand for a referendum and a majority vote for independence, I think we can safely assume the union is by consent.
Rich: I’m not convinced either that the UK is greater than the sum of its parts or that England couldn’t be a comparatively strong state in its own right. Any evidence for that statement?
You might not be convinced, but I’m quite sure that both England and Scotland are perfectly viable as states in their own right – but that we get more from being together than we’d gain from being separate, even though there are constitutional issues that need to be sorted out. Something to ponder for your campaign! :-
Andrew
Agreed, but the UK Dyke is leaking. Are you Scotland’s little Dutch boy? ; )?
I can’t believe that anyone genuinely gets annoyed at Scots wanting the England footy team to lose. It’s called local rivalry. I hate Arsenal but I have no major problem with the London Borough of Islington.
Have you not celebrated wildly as the Faroe Islands bury one against Scotland, or are you one of those anal bespectacled conservative types who don’t have the slightest understanding of important things like football?
Belly
If you are addressing me, I mentioned the ‘anyone but England’ in Sport mentality which er ‘pisses’ me off but football is a good example because any decent Scot plays in the Premier league anyway.
That has always been the way.
Pity is what I feel when someone like the Faroes beat Scotland. The combination of Scotland with a German manager has, I admit, caused the occasional smirk to escape.
Ahh If only it were just about football.
And I wear contact lenses
Hey, you want “feelings” on the Israeli-Arab situ? Just listen to the BBC’s own Orla G. Time after time she injects plenty of her emotion into “news”. The latest just a couple of days ago was her famous baiting of an IDF spokesman as she hinted that Israel is deliberately killing “innocent” Palestinians. No mention of how they hide behind civilians and store dangerous weapons and drugs in tunnels and under houses.(This is not my opinion. I’ve seen it myself.)
Burt K
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