Anyone catch posh Ed Stourton’s travelogue on that charming resort of Gaza this morning? (7.39am). I was touched hearing his all too evident admiration for the tunnelling skills of those fine Hamastan inhabitants although angered at the way in which the evil Jews have wrought all of this due to their “Operation Cast Lead” a year ago. Good old BBC – ALWAYS fair and balanced on this topic.
GAZING BLINDLY ON GAZA
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Yes, this was disgusting even by the BBC’s desultory standards.
Here is a list of pretty basic journalistic questions the BBC NEVER asks Hamas…
Why is the Protocols anti-semitic fortgery a part of your Charter?
Why do you institutionalise antisemtism at all levels of policy, from primary school curricula to sports events?
Why do you shoot the heads off rival Palestinian militias?
Why have Christian Gazans been persecuted almost to non-existence?
Why do the Egyptiand loathe you so much (ie what are your links to the Muslim Brotherhood and associated AQerish Islamoloons?
How come your support is so low?
One could go on for hours.
But of course the sly, nasty, BBC agenda is simple: Islamists are good, and Jews are bad. Therefore Israel must be destroyed.
In my view Israel should declare the BBC an enemy, and behave accordingly.
Ahmed Yousef is so pro Obama – great man and so anti Bush – belligerent approach, three strikes [?] that he could be working for the BBC.
The Ross Kemp series on Sky is the sort of journalism the beeboids will never do. When asked about Hamas an Israeli simply said “It’s not the land they want, but they want to drive us into the sea and kill us all”
Martin,
The Ross Kemp peice could have been straight off the BBC, such was the one sided bias shown!
In regards to settlements and Palestinian land, could have come straight from the BBC…straight up and down land stolen by Israel, settlements illegal according to international law and so on and so on and so on!
Maybe Kemp is after a job reporting on the middle east for al beeb?
Mailman
How many episodes have you seen, he’s done one from each side, I thought well balanced personally, especially compared to the crap from Al Bowen and co at the Hamas Broadcasting Centre.
I believe too that Kemp tried to do a fair job – so unlike the BBC. I think it was only ignorance of the deeper issues involved that stopped him from doing a better job. He certainly wouldn’t be BBC material, and he can be glad of it.
0739
It is more than a year since the Israeli attack on Gaza known as Operation Cast Lead was ended. But Gaza has been under an economic blockade since Hamas took control there. Edward Stourton describes the situation there now.
0839
Edward Stourton has been in Gaza a year on from the Israeli offensive reporting on how life is now lived there. He spoke to the Hamas political advisor Ahmed Yousef about President Obama’s new approach to the region.
Yes, and incidentally, 7:39
If the Gazans are so entrepreneurial and ingenious as Ed would have it,- their tunnels are big enough for “entire cars to pass through” – You can’t help wondering why he doesn’t ask why they don’t squeeze a few construction materials through as well.
The statement from ‘The Israel Project, was received with stony silence. Despite the fact that what he said was well worth discussing, it was followed by an abrupt change of subject, relegating it to “unimportant”.
8:39
Ahmed Yousef seems to like Obama. “Mr. Obama had good intention.” But he accuses America and Israel of impeding the peace process “Americans ask Egyptians to slow down process.” He seems to think they’re somehow responsible for exacerbating the rift between Fatah and Hamas. “Foreign hand prevent reconciliation.”
Ed Stourton was too polite to mention Iran.
Stourton actually said a few things that the BBC and its Hamas allies prefer not said. Certainly not departing from BBC boilerplate. But before I start with that did I hear correctly? The introduction called the operation Cast-ly or Cast-ling. It’s Cast Lead.
The Today announcer forgot to say ‘Israel says’ when he said that the operation was designed to stop Hamas firing rockets into Israel and there has indeed been a significant reduction. Usually the BBC tries to undermine the credibility of the operation by sugesting Israel had another agenda e.g. collective punishment. It is very rare for the BBC to acknowledge that the operation succeeded in its aims. Rather it parrots the Hamas line that Israel didn’t achieve anything but kill civilians.
Stourton starts by saying he is in an elegant hotel and give or take the odd shortage it largely works.
He continues. The tunnels became notorious as the supply route for weapons. but now the shops are absolutely stuffed with goods. Fridges and washing machines and microwave ovens. The Tunnelmen are making millions of dollars and the Government collects taxes.
Not exactly the hell the BBC normally claims.
I am dubious about Stourton’s claim that the Likud was promoting economic improvements in order to back Abbas. My memory is the Likud thought ecomomic improvements would reduce the average Palestinians desire for violence by giving them something to lose.
Al-beeb and Stourton are in full ignorance mode here. They seem to close their eyes to the fact that Hamas is little more than an Iranian proxy terrorist gang, very much in the style of Hezbolla in Lebanon.
They fail to realise the Hamula (clan) culture that prevails in Gaza, and have not mentioned,( because they are so ill-informed,)
gangs like the infamous Dorgumush or the Hilmi, etc. They shoot one another, throw their rivals off buildings, and generally run extortion rackets, smuggling rings, and prostitution and drug dealing. (Yes such things exist O great beeboids among peace-loving Muslims.)
They then blame Israel for restricting certain types of materials and fail to mention that water, electricity, and medical supplies are allowed in by the “evil” Jews.
They gloss over the fact that the so-called Palestinians are being aided by UNWRA, the oldest charity run by the UN, and run I might add for the exclusive benefit of people, had they accepted the 1947 Paritition Resolultion, would have no refugee problem, and would also have had a state, even if it might have not been a democracy.
I HAVE PUT IN AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT TO AL BEEB, for all the fat load of good it will do!
Ah, so this is one of those “other projects” the BBC said they had in mind for Ed Stourton when they unceremoniously dumped him in favor of Justin Webb.
Being dumped for Justin Webb, I like that, a bit like finding out your wife is dumping you for another woman!!!
Being dumped for Justin Webb, I like that, a bit like finding out your wife is dumping you for another woman!!!
Even worse. It’s JO BRAND.
I would appear to have heard an earlier item in the Today programme this morning by Ed Stourton on his visit to Gaza as this did mention the fact that Egypt did not seem keen on opening the border with Gaza and he did call on an Egyptian government official on his way there.
I don’t think he mentioned the Egyptians piling a barrier along the border to make tunelling somewhat more difficult. Until 1967 I believe Gaza was under Egyptian control. Funny how they do not seem to want it back.
burbette123
A very good summary of the situation
Something special tonight. Jane Corbin on Panorama. Corbin specialises in the Middle East. She views Hamas through rose coloured specs, and now she is about to tell us about East Jerusalem. In a trail on the Panorama website (I think they have replaced it with a slideshow) she alludes to the war in 1967.
“When the state of Israel was born in 1948 Jerusalem was divided, the west of the city became part of Israel, and the east was controlled by Jordan.
“In 1967 Israel annexed East Jerusalem after seizing the West Bank, following war with its Arab neighbours.”
Does she think Israel started an unprovoked expansionist war in 1967? It looks like it. She must surely know that that is almost the exact opposite of the truth.
She continues:
“This too is all part of Israel’s attempt to extend its hold on East Jerusalem.
“We’ve discovered an official plan which shows that the Israeli government is strengthening the status of Jerusalem as its capital by creating a broad swathe of parks and tourist trails like this one, between the old city walls and the Mount of Olives. These areas will link the settlements in East Jerusalem and extend Israeli control over this part of the city.”
It looks as though we’re in for another round of Operation Vilify Israel.
“between the old city walls and the Mount of Olives”
Clearly areas that have been Mohammedan for thousands of years long before the infamous Judeo-terrorist Moses stole the land from the poor Palis.
For tonight only Panorama will be renamed PALISORAMA.