Lyse Doucet is fronting a programme tonight, ‘Children of Syria’ (BBC 2  21:00)  about the children in Syria, suffering because of the war.  In her write up about the programme she of course also manages to slip in plenty about the children of Gaza…..though she neglects  to mention the children in Israel under constant Palestinian bombardment. She tells us that ‘Over the past six months, I and director-cameraman … Continue reading →

I was wading through this BBC item called “Gaza crisis: Toll of operations in Gaza” and was struck by a number of things. There is the usual refusal of the BBC to call Hamas terrorists for what they are –  “terrorists”. There is the sickening adoption of Hamas supplied figures to the UN for casualties, suggesting that all the 76% of those killed are women and children. Yet this is … Continue reading →

Overdue but better late than never, here you go, a NEW Open Thread.

  Whilst the BBC were quick to say Israel was to blame for the deaths at the UN school they’ re not so keen to say Israel isn’t to blame…merely ‘Israel rejects the blame’… Israel rejects Gaza school shelter attack blame The Israeli army has insisted that a mortar round it fired into a UN shelter in Gaza on Thursday in a clash with “militants” was not responsible for the … Continue reading →

This was BBC World journalist Julia Macfarlane’s Twitter header before the current Israel/Gaza conflict (via Wayback): This it what it looks like now: Gun-toting pro-Palestinian flag-wavers But she’s not trying to make a statement, honest. Just a coincidence.

    ‘It pains me to have to admit this but anti-Semitism isn’t just tolerated in some sections of the British Muslim community; it’s routine and commonplace. Any Muslims reading this article – if they are honest with themselves – will know instantly what I am referring to. It’s our dirty little secret. You could call it the banality of Muslim anti-Semitism.’   Mehdi Hasan         When … Continue reading →

  Some astonishing quotes from the BBC’s Paul Adams…H/T Craig at Is the BBC biased? (You know what, I think it might be): Generations [of Gazans] has experienced nothing but occupation, embargo, blockade, war and death. It’s had a slow brutalising effect. Perhaps that’s why some of them are seized by such a furious desire to tunnel out and seek revenge. For Gaza is a giant prison, surrounding by a … Continue reading →

    Curious decision by BBC News to choose a supposed Israeli rejection of a truce as its headline:   Gaza conflict: Israel rejects truce ‘as it stands’ Way way down the article is this single line…… Hamas official Mohamed Nazzal told al-Jazeera TV the ceasefire proposal was “not acceptable at all” in its current form.   So why did the BBC not have a headline saying Hamas rejected the … Continue reading →

I had the misfortune to tune in to the BBC Radio 4 Saturday live programme, presented by Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles this morning. Here is a flavour of the discussion.. “Sir Professor Geoff Palmer came to Britain from Jamaica aged 14. Described as educationally sub-normal is he now an expert in cereals and Professor Emeritus of brewing at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He was the first black Professor in Scotland … Continue reading →

      We know that Hamas has stored weapons in UN schools, we know that Hamas have military command centres in hospitals, we know that Hamas missiles fall short back into Gaza, we know that Hamas intends to wipe out Israel. All essential context for any report into what is happening in Gaza. We know that a UN school was hit by a missile of some description.  We don’t … Continue reading →