Pro-Palestinian protest targets the BBC
By Ian Dunt
Pro-Palestinian activists have demonstrated outside the BBC in a protest against “bias in reporting the Israeli onslaught” against Gaza.
It was the fourth consecutive Saturday demonstration to take place in London against Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Demonstrators gathered outside Broadcasting House, between Oxford Street and Regents Park, around midday in a protest attended by Stop the War, the Green party and pro-Palestinian groups. In addition to the BBC demands, activists also called for a fair settlement for Palestinians.
Dr Shahrar Ali, Green party candidate for the European parliament, said: “Public knowledge of the true scale of suffering and death of hundreds of children has been compounded by BBC bias.
“The BBC has sometimes broadcast opinion masquerading as fact.
“Moreover, on a day that Israel intensified its aerial attacks on hundreds of people who had no means of escape, the BBC chose to saturate its headlines with the lucky escape of a passenger aircraft in New York.”
The Israeli pullout from Gaza was completed last week, with journalists and aid workers pouring into the Strip to find mass destruction.
Questions are being asked about the weapons Israel used in the conflict, with demands for information about the alleged use of a phosphorous substitute which caused burning and death to many of the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Analysts are struggling to find a winner in the conflict, which imposed a devastating death toll on Gaza and failed to end the capacity of Hamas or other groups to launch rocket attacks at Israel.
Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London and member of the human rights sub-committee in the European parliament, said: “The ceasefire is welcome, but a permanent solution must be found or we risk trying to physically heal the population of Gaza only to see them put through the same hell again.
“There will be no military solution: aggression only fuels further hatred and misery.”
It’s not the first time the BBC has faced criticism of its coverage of Middle East affairs, with most conflagrations in the region prompting complaints of bias from both sides.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Clearly this is a conflict that some people have passionate views about which they are willing to express in strong terms. However, we are satisfied that the BBC’s coverage of ongoing events in Gaza and Israel is balanced, fair, accurate and impartial.
“In our reports, we have tried to explain how the current situation started and has since developed. It is our duty to provide independent reporting and analysis of all perspectives of the story so our audience can make sense of what’s going on.”
The protest comes as cricism grows over the BBC’s refusal to run the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal on Gaza due to conerns of percieved bias.
Liberal Democrat media spokesman Don Foster said: “The BBC’s decision is disgraceful and must be reversed.
“With tens of thousands in Gaza without homes or running water, aid is vitally needed.
“The argument that the BBC’s news impartiality will be harmed is bizarre. Thank goodness other broadcasters are now considering running the appeal even if the BBC doesn’t.”
This afternoon, Al-Jazeera announced it would screen the appeal.
Brendan Gormley, chief executive of the DEC, praised Al-Jazeera’s decision.
“DEC agencies have a humanitarian mandate and there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza today,” he said.
“Political solutions are for others to resolve, but what is of major concern to us all is that many innocent people have been affected by the situation – and it is them that we seek to help.”
