I’ve been thinking about the influence the BBC still has over the general public. I hope it’s diminishing, what with other sources becoming part of everyone’s normal news-gathering. But for now it still seems hugely significant; even if it were to cease tomorrow, the residual effect would take time to wear off.
Monday’s Panorama was so one sided that I didn’t even attempt a point-by-point analysis, but chose instead to express my despair in the form of cookery.
Robin Shepherd took the bull by the horns in a more masterful fashion, setting out the programme’s flaws with his customary thoroughness and accessibility. For example he revealed that the individual who was supposed to represent the voice of impartiality and reason was in fact “Danny Seidemann, a well known (but not to British viewers) left-wing lawyer-activist.”
He also added the bits (in bold ) that Jane Corbin neglected to mention, vital bits that changed the entire focus:
“When the State of Israel was born in 1948 — following Arab and Palestinian rejection of a peace agreement accepted by Israel which would have seen the internationalisation of the city — Jerusalem was divided.
The West of the city became part of Israel and the East was controlled by Jordan — which expelled Jewish residents and forbade Jews from praying at all of the city’s holy sites.
In 1967, Israel annexed East Jerusalem after seizing the West Bank following war with its Arab neighbours. That war was caused by Arab governments and the Palestinians who had the aim of eliminating the state of Israel in its entirety and expelling its Jewish residents.”
When I saw the trail, before seeing the programme, I referred to the same bias by omission on the open thread, and asked:
“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.”
Honest Reporting delves deeper, setting the record straight and unravelling the misconceptions that Jane Corbin was so eager to perpetuate. In summary, the distortion and denial of the Jewish historical link with East Jerusalem, the allegations of racism and ethnic cleansing in the housing policy, the facts behind the notorious Hanoun family eviction, the shooting incident, and various other notable omissions and half truths.
All of this is not so unusual for the BBC. Does it matter? There are after all, some saving graces. The Newsnight report from Sderot ( scroll to 27:25 ) that was more balanced, though someone mentioned that it took a member of the British Army to do that, and not a BBC employee. (I note that Paxo revised the obligatory Pali war dead figure down from the usual 1400 to 1300, presumably for one day only.)
But the general consensus that Israel’s legitimacy itself is questionable persists.
I wonder why the UK tries so hard to misrepresent a country that it ought to admire, why the BBC has orchestrated a delegitimising campaign that ignores Israel’s wonderful achievements and altruistic deeds, and distorts and twists everything it possibly can to depict it in a bad light, concentrates on its flaws and shortcomings, magnifying them out of all proportion while glossing over that of its – and our own – enemy.
Actually Sue, I thought your culinary version was quite apt, as it seems the BBC have the same recipe for anything that realtes to Isreal.
Thanks JHT,
One of the things I wrestle with is how to pitch posts. How much should I assume that the reader would know already?
Some of you know much more than I do, while others know little and care less.
Clever writers have the knack of providing enough background neatly and unobtrusively without stemming the flow. They slip important recapitulations in seamlessly so the reader will always understand what they’re saying, but won’t feel lectured or harangued. I don’t claim to have such mental agility. I’m a lightweight type of gal. I do a recipe, then I worry that people won’t get it; maybe they’re more ready-meal than make it from fresh.
Some people think that bacon comes from sheep and pigs can fly.
The influence that the BBC, and The Guardian for example exerts, unfortunately is not diminishing. On the contrary the drip-drip-drip demonisation of the Jewish state allows rabid antisemitism to become the norm just about everywhere.
From the techie/IT The Register:
Israelis develop Nazi-doodlebug sonic deathwave cannon
There you have it – Israelis = Nazis!
Now scroll down to some of the comments here:
http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2010/01/19/israeli_sonic_cannon/
John 186
What goes around… #
Posted Tuesday 19th January 2010 15:02 GMT
<img src=”http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/unhappy_48.png” title=”I am very unhappy and wish to express my discontent.” alt=”Unhappy”/>
So the Fourth Reich is re-developing Third Reich weapons. No surprises there then. Other than until – as is usually inevitable – the weapons find their way to the other side.
Richard Cartledge
Zionazis #
Posted Tuesday 19th January 2010 20:36 GMT
More proof that nazism and zionism are one.
John Smith 19
AC@17:05 #
Posted Wednesday 20th January 2010 00:16 GMT
<img src=”http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/thumb_up_48.png” title=”Love it” alt=”Thumb Up”/>
You forgot the “creative” use of White phospherous on hte West Bank.
JaitcH
Israeli weapons seem to be modelled after … #
Posted Wednesday 20th January 2010 01:19 GMT
<img src=”http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/black_helicopters_48.png” title=”I hear the distant sound of black helicopters and am off to my Montana mountain bunker complex” alt=”Black Helicopters”/>
so many of secret Nazi superweapons of the 1940s. It’s as if they are tied at the hip.
Similarly, many of the Israeli practices against the Palestinians are alike to those used during the Second World War and given their history you would have thought that mistreatment by Hitler would have tempered their anti-Palestine actions.
Unfortunately it appears the lesson of seventy years ago have been forgotten.
Bio, I’m always on about the pernicious influence of the BBC, and whenever I mention something that isn’t specifically related to a particular BBC programme I’m criticized for ranting. People always say, “What’s that got to do with BBC bias?”
Also, I can’t bear to go out of my way to read hate-filled comments. Although I always read CiFWatch and have great respect for the commenters and posters, I scroll past all the examples they torment themselves with, and I steer clear of Cif altogether.
The breadth of the BBC’s demonisation of Israel and their particular type of posh anti-Semitism is staggering. i think it is at the bottom of almost everything that is happening now.
This extract from a review on American Thinker of “The Israel Test” (brilliant book by George Gilder) tells why the BBC dislikes Israel see highlighted text.
“The central issue in international politics … is the tiny state of Israel. The prime issue is not a global war of civilizations between the West and Islam …The real issue is between the rule of law and the rule of leveler egalitarianism, between creative excellence and covetous “fairness,” between admiration of achievement versus envy and resentment of it. Israel defines a line of demarcation. On one side…are those who see capitalism as a zero-sum game in which success comes at the expense of the poor…On the other side are those who see the genius and good fortune of some as a source of wealth and opportunity for all. The test can be summarized by a few questions: What is your attitude toward people who excel you in the creation of wealth or in other accomplishment? Do you aspire to their excellence, or do you seethe at it? Do you admire and celebrate exceptional achievement, or do you impugn it and seek to tear it down? Caroline Glick … sums it up: “Some people admire success; some people envy it. The enviers hate Israel.” Today tiny Israel … stands behind only the United States in technological contributions. In per-capita innovation, Israel dwarfs all nations.”
Sue – you don’t rant; you’re important.
“Sue – you don’t rant; you’re important.” I second that David.
“On one side…are those who see capitalism as a zero-sum game in which success comes at the expense of the poor…On the other side are those who see the genius and good fortune of some as a source of wealth and opportunity for all.”
This is an important point. The moderrn left do not like success – anyone who sucedes must have done so not by their own efforts but by exploitation. That is why they are against “streaming”.
Not just Israel. With the BBC it’s a case of out with the new, in with the old. The BBC is dying a slow death with its same old stale recipes for current affairs, business, sport, comedy…
CALL TO ARMS!
Jeremy Bowen’s entry on Wiki makes no mention of the welter of accusations against him for anti-Israel bias. I have tried to rectify that and have now been blocked. They do make a reference to the BBC Trust Report, but noone would have the slightest idea of who his ‘breach of impartiality’ was against, and the references contain links to a Guardian blogger who rubbishes the complaints. The whole tone of the Wiki entry is to minimize the partially upheld complaints against him grudgingly reached by the BBC Trust.
I complained about my blocking and the piece was tweaked to now state that the complaints to the BBC Trust referred to “two Israel related” items which is still wilfully clouding the issue of the huge controversy over Mr Bowen’s coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Clearly the administrators are members of the Nazi left trying to protect their man’s credibility so he can continue to spew forth his new Nazism and take in the gullible.
Get a log-in to Wiki and get some balance in there. Remember. Dont state that JB is biased, just cite the welter of sourced information alleging his bias.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bowen
“I wonder why the UK tries so hard to misrepresent a country that it ought to admire.”
Indeed one might wonder, but the answer is simple. It’s THE OLDEST HATRED, the Christian disease of 2000 years. There is no magic vaccine for anti-semitism. It keeps finding new beeboid style entry points and thrives and prospers.
I think there is also a touch of jealousy. There is so much to admire in the Israelis and so much to be ashamed of in the British.
“..so much to be ashamed of in the British.” I am not ashamed of the British. Don’t forget the liberal elite are the people who hate Britain and Isreal in equal mesures.
The British have a lot to be proud of , the British liberal elite have not.
I notice that Sky news is showing the good work the Iraelis are doing in Haiti, with their field hospital that was up and running within 24hrs of landing there. I doubt the Beeb has even mentioned Israel`s good works in this disaster zone.
Very true. In contrast to the lack of aid from the oil states unless I missed hearing about it. Israeli aid has been superb and effective.
Same with CNN. Just a ghostly silence from the BBC though.
The BBC’s coverage is conspicuous by its absence:
News Coverage of IDF Aid Delegation to Haiti, 20 January 2010
One glowing report on Israel’s effort from a non Beeb aid worker in his diary. David Darg. Other than that one word mentions in lists of countries helping out.
Some aid from Arab countries either arrived or on the way, notably Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon.
I expect this story will be covered by the BBC soon. Gaza collects Haiti aid, says it was similarly shaken by Israel In common with most Palestinian Aid stories e.g. Arafat’s faked blood donation to 9/11 relief I don’t expect anything to arrive but that is of course unprovable. When the BBC covers it I don’t expect any irony.
The detailed pieces by Robin Shepherd and Honest Reporting make it crystal clear that the Panorama prog was entirely a put-up job, a DELIBERATE attempt to put Israel in a bad light. To the average viewer, all this would not be apparent – but it seems to me that BBC production staff/editors and Corbin hatched the whole programme plan – “story-boarded” it, all running along a single theme – and then filmed to match the storyboard. The BBC has been harping on for months now about “occupied” East Jerusalem, even though Obama has backed away from his stupid first moves, and Bowen et al know they have been criticised for one-sided coverage. So – Hey, lets give it the full treatment, let’s devote an entire Panorama to East Jerusalem giving the Palestinian narrative.
Today’s biased BBC would never dream of doing a repeat Panorama with the accent on the Israeli narrative.
John A,
That’s more or less what I was trying to say with my recipe. Corbin is supposed to be some sort of expert in the Middle East. She must have known what she was doing.
and yoiu can bet that the Panorama team was in cahoots with Jeremy Bowen, who essentially frames the BBC’s stance on all this.
Sue
Yes – your recipe allusion was spot-on, a list of the ingredients of a full-on smear of Israel that then gets storyboarded by the production team before they go out to Jerusalem to make their biased film.
I saw the Newsnight report and almost fell off my chair. The BBC reporting things objectively from Gaza… unbelievable!! And you should have seen Paxman’s face at the end of the reporty – a picture of pinched and nasty irritation. How dare anyone chalenge the BBC meme, eh Mr Paxman?
On the other hand, who cares? It seems to me that fewer and fewer people take the BBC seriously any more. But expect them to keep the trains running right until the end. That’s for sure.
Jerusalem Municipality says Corbin report simply factually untrue. So where is the list and who was her source?
In the show, Jane Corbin claimed that “Demolitions have been increasing in recent days, and in fact, we’ve got hold of a list that shows there’s another 40 to go before the end of the year. That’s because the municipal government has a budget that it has to use up for demolitions.”
The Jerusalem municipality said in a statement the number of demolitions conducted in eastern Jerusalem actually decreased in 2009 – from 86 in 2008 to 65 in 2009, a 25% decrease.
It said also that there was simply no connection between the annual budget of the municipality and the number of demolitions conducted.
Municipality slams BBC demolition report
Israel’s disproportionate response – Tom Gross.
“Because of Israel’s long history of enduring bomb and missile attacks the Israeli army (the IDF) is one of the most experienced in the world in treating mass-injuries and using specially trained sniffer dogs to locate wounded persons in the rubble.
The IDF was one of the first on the scene in Haiti last week (sending considerably more troops and doctors than, for example, Britain and France did). Hundreds, if not thousands of Haitians have already been treated (and many life-saving surgeries performed) in the IDF Medical and Rescue Field Hospital, set up in a large tent on a soccer field in Port-Au-Prince. In addition, Israeli forces have located and rescued survivors trapped in ruined buildings, including many who were injured during the collapse of the UN headquarters.
In addition to teams from the IDF’s canine unit, Israel sent 52 doctors and 25 nurses as well as paramedics, and has set up a pharmacy, a children’s ward, a radiology department, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, two operating rooms, a surgical department, an internal medicine department and a maternity ward. Israel has since sent a further 220 doctors, medics and nurses. Israel also sent a number of French-speaking translators to aid doctors.”
The BBC hates Israel because Israel is the modern embodiment of the nation state. It defends itself; it controls its borders, it defines itself as based on a clearly-defined people. Now there are many Jews who are opposed to the idea of the nation state and they fit in nicely with the BBC so the BBC can pass the microphone to any Jewish hater of Israel (Will Self, Steven Rose) and shrug its corporate shoulders at any accusation of Jew-hatred.
For some reason we can only conjecture, this story didn’t make it to the BBC Saudi girl, 13, sentenced to 90 lashes after she took a mobile phone to school
But this one did
Palestinian graves found damaged after settlers visit
It didn’t only make it to one of the stories covered by the BBC, but to their Middle East Top Stories – Wey Hey!
The trial of Geert Wilders has begun. If he wins it could turn the tide in the Muslim war against the West.
http://frontpagemag.com/2010/01/21/geert-wilders-freedom-on-trial/
Also related:
“BBC slams ‘racist’ Jewish settlers on West Bank while continuing to censor Arab and Palestinian anti-semitism” (Robin Shepherd):
http://www.robinshepherdonline.com/bbc-slams-racist-jewish-settlers-on-west-bank-while-continuing-to-censor-arab-and-palestinian-anti-semitism/#more-2041