BBC accused of bias against Israel

The Israeli government has written to the BBC accusing its Middle East correspondent, Orla Guerin, of anti-semitism and "total identification with the goals and methods of the Palestinian terror groups" over a report on a 16-year-old would-be suicide bomber last week. Natan Sharansky, Israel's minister for diaspora affairs, complained that Guerin had portrayed the army's handling of the arrest of Hussam Abdu, who was captured with explosives strapped to his chest, as "cynical manipulation of a Palestinian youngster for propaganda purposes". He said this revealed "a deep-seated bias against Israel".

The BBC said it was looking into the complaint, the first by the Israeli government since late last year when it lifted a boycott of the corporation imposed in protest at a documentary on the Jewish state's weapons of mass destruction.

But the letter comes as several foreign news organisations complain of increasing government pressure to curtail critical coverage or to report stories Israel believes help identify the Palestinian conflict with global Islamist terrorism.

Officials have presented editors with dossiers on individual reporters and singled out organisations such as Sky News for allegedly having an anti-Israel agenda.

The Tel Aviv press has called for the expulsion of correspondents from Sky, the Times and several French papers for failing to cover a story the government mobilised embassies worldwide to get into the media last month.

In her report on Hussam Abdu last week, Guerin noted Israel's desire to gain a public relations advantage from the arrest. She described how the army "paraded the child in front of the international media", and observed that journalists had been prevented from asking him questions and therefore were left only with the army's account of the arrest.

Mr Sharansky alleged that the BBC reporter "cast aspersions on the meaning of what transpired" that amounted to "such a gross double standard to the Jewish state, it is difficult to see Ms Guerin's report as anything but anti-semitic".

The Israeli minister also protested at Guerin's conclusion, as the youth was forced to stand forlornly alone at the checkpoint solely for the photographers, that "this is a picture that Israel wants the world to see".

Yet there is little doubt that the Israeli government viewed the boy's arrest as of considerable propaganda value.

Israeli embassies urged newspapers across the globe to run the story as part of a campaign by the government to highlight the use of children as potential suicide bombers.

A week earlier, when a 12-year-old boy, Abdullah Quran, was stopped while unwittingly carrying explosives at an army checkpoint, Israeli embassies called news editors to insist they cover the story and warn that failure to do so would be viewed as bias against Israel.

When several news organisations failed to report it, an Israeli newspaper called for their correspondents to be expelled, including Sky's Emma Hurd and Stephen Farrell of the Times.

The government emailed the article around the world and reproduced it on official websites.

Gideon Meir, the foreign ministry's chief spokesman, said the criticism was legitimate. "Sky News did not cover the Abdullah Quran story but the next day, when the Israeli targeted an Islamic Jihad terrorist with a missile, immediately Sky was on the air with seven or eight minutes of coverage," he said. "They did not cover the first story because it does not fit into the agenda the editors have."

Last month the Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, pulled out of an interview on Sky's Sunday with Adam Bolton after the show refused to cancel an appearance by the Palestinian representative in London.

CNN sources say the network has bowed to considerable pressure on its editors. Israeli officials boast that they now have only to call a number at the network's headquarters in Atlanta to pull any story they do not like.

The network's former Middle East correspondent, Jerrold Kessel, who was widely respected for his informed and nuanced reporting, said that while doubtlessly, there was pressure on his editors to get him to modify his coverage, he regarded it as irrelevant.

"The less notice one takes of pressure, the less pressure one invites on oneself," he said. "If you get into a mind where the pressure is a factor, you get into the mind of worrying about what the effect of the pressure is going to be."

"...Jerrold Kessel, who was widely respected for his informed and nuanced reporting..."

The word "nuanced" is sure being bandied about lately. And it seems to have picked up a negative connotation.

SKY news is? a FOX news affiliate, and their reporters are definitely biased in their reporting..
In fact, FOX news foreign correspondents themselves tend to have a pro-palestinian leaning..

I have no problem with Israel standing up to the news organizations and demanding fair treatment..

As for CNN, (last paragraphs) those comments are laughable..
These are the same "buddies" of Saddam's, that told us all was well in the glorious democratic state of Iraq, while death squads were roaming the streets..
Anything CNN says is a lie..

If you find a 12 year old boy with bombs on his body, like the Israeli's did and stop the murder that would have resulted from his bombs, then, this is a world class story. If you don't realize that, then I believe you have your own prejudice problems or some mental void.
What do you mean that the boy was "unwittingly carrying explosives"? Do you believe the kid was a zombie who knew nothing?
Suicide bombers are murderers and thugs. Perhaps you could reconsider your thinking to this end?

7 posted on 03/31/2004 7:50:42 PM PST by astudent (12 year olds who carry explosives to kill others are murderers and thugs!)

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