Al-Beeb refuses to air Gaza ad UPDATED with video
A true flying pigs moment.
Al-Beeb has refused to air an ad from a 'charity organization' raising money for Gaza, after private broadcasters also refused to air the ad. And Al-Beeb has been slammed by British government ministers. International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said the BBC had made the wrong decision. He called on the BBC to reconsider, "to recognize the immense human suffering and to address the concern which I think otherwise may develop that somehow the suffering of people in Gaza is not taken as seriously as the suffering of people in other conflicts."The 'charity' had requested free air time, something that al-Beeb has given in the past for other causes. But not this time.
Health Minister Ben Bradshaw called the BBC's decision inexplicable and accused the publicly funded broadcaster of being cowed by the Israeli government.
"I am afraid the BBC has to stand up to the Israeli authorities occasionally," Bradshaw said.
BBC director-general Mark Thompson said the Gaza crisis was "an ongoing and highly controversial news story." He said the BBC had decided "that to broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully couched, ran the risk of calling into question the public's confidence in the BBC's impartiality in its coverage of the story as a whole."Hmmm.
UPDATE 8:37 PM
ITV and Channel 4 are now saying they will air the appeal, but the BBC is still refusing. Go al-Beeb! Let's go to the videotape.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:00 PM
2 Comments:
Here's my theory on this. Psychologically speaking, lets look at al-Beeb's present behavior in light of it's established anti-Israel past behavior. Its unlikely al-Beeb had what Alcoholics Anonymous calls 'the moment of clarity" and perceived the immorality of it's own anti-Israel bias.
Its more likely that al-Beeb doesn't want the British viewers to see it broadcasting (and without even getting any revenue for it) a pro-Gaza "victim" program when the private British broadcasters have refused to do so. Contrary to the false reality built by the Beeb and most of the print MSM, there are still many British people who are anti-Islamofascist, maybe even a silenced majority.
Also, this would leave al-Beeb open to a reasonable demand from the State of Israel, or pro-Israel groups, to show an equivalent length program showing the truth about Hamas causing the Gaza incursion and Hamas war crimes. This counter-program could also ask for funds for the suffering people of Sderot and elsewhere in southern Israel. (Whether Olmert & Co. would bother to try this is another, separate question.)
In any case, the Beeb would rather close down than broadcast such a program. And they know that if they did, Beeb facilities would be inundated with protests, demonstrations, even riots, from British Islamofascist and their Dhimmi leftist allies.
So, this flying pigs moment seems to me a careful calculation by the Beeb of the Beeb's self-interest, not in any way the principled stand spun by the BBC Director-General.
Comments on this theory, anybody?
I don't really have anything to add Captain H except to observe no one is holding a telethon for the people of Sderot. Jewish victims are invisible.
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