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BBC Bias: The Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Whatever happened on the Mavi Marmara on the morning of May 31st, 2010, the BBC’s Panorama team failed to give a balanced view of it in its so-called documentary, Death in the Med. Even the title sounds more like that of a paperback mystery, rather than a serious analysis of Israel’s worst atrocity since Operation Cast Lead.

Documentaries should be truthful and informative and expand our understanding of situations and events; their content should be rigorously checked for errors in statements which are presented as facts and conjecture, and the personal opinions of their writers and presenters should be explicitly identified as such. But Death in the Med failed any test based on those parameters.

The BBC’s television and radio services reach an audience measured in hundreds of millions, world-wide, but are primarily funded by taxes and license fees paid by the British public; not by Israel or its influential friends. Panorama’s biased and often untruthful Treatment of Israel’s worst atrocity since Operation Cast Lead should trigger a public enquiry about who is really in charge of one of the most influential broadcaster’s on the planet.

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bombs rock Gaza. talk about that at synagogue tomorrow

From the International Solidarity Movement’s press release, written by Adie Nistelrooy:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10 September 2010

Gaza City, GAZA STRIP

The Israeli military carried out air strikes on three regions of the Gaza Strip late last night, as inhabitants were preparing to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, the Mulim holiday marking the end the holy month of Ramadan that starts today. It constitute the second missile attack by Israel on Gaza since negotiations resumed on 2 September 2010.

Just before 11PM (midnight Israeli time) last night (9 Sept. 2010) Israel dropped two missiles on Gaza City, three on Rafah, one on Beit Hanoun and a further missile on Deir Al Balah, a second central Gaza location.

Following the Gaza City bombing, which witnesses on the scene said landed inches from the spot of a previous missile attack near Arafat’s Compound one month ago, only two slight injuries have been reported so far.

However in Rafah, in south Gaza, it is feared that there may be casualties as there are currently reports of missing persons, predominantly among men who work in the tunnels connecting the besieged Gaza Strip to Egypt. The Jerusalem Post reported that Palestinian security forces had announced at least five injured.

As well as the missile dropped from the air on Beit Hanoun, in the north of the Gaza Strip, an Israeli tank also fired six shells. The target was a military training site of the armed wing of Hamas.

There are also unconfirmed reports of missiles in Khan Younis.

At the time of writing, one hour after the attacks, war planes were still hovering over Gaza, and residents said they feared further attacks.

Background

Media contacts:
ISM Gaza, Adie Nistelrooy: 05977 176 96
ISM Media Office, Ramallah: 05461 800 56

Check out Tilde’s blog for photos of the damage:

*I’m keeping the title even though upon slight reflection I realize that it’s somewhat gratuitously belligerent. Why? Because Israel chose last night–Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan–to bomb defenseless Gaza. Israel purposefully pummels defenseless Gaza on their and our holy days. Who exactly is being anti-Semitic here by ensuring that Muslims in Gaza identify Jews as people willing to use violence to desecrate their religion’s holy day?

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Gaza game exposes siege restrictions

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Happy Birthday Free Gaza

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US Boat to GAZA Fundraiser

Lets Set Sail to GAZA on “The Audacity of Hope”

Saturday August 28, 2010 7:00 – 9:30 PM

Speakers, Food, Music

The Potter’s House 1658 Columbia Road NW Washington, DC 20009

202-232-5483

Contact: Alice Azzouzi – 703-862-3622

Dear Friends,

This is an important moment in history. In the aftermath of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla massacre and increased world-wide scrutiny of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, the Israeli government has mounted a huge public relations campaign spreading the lie that by letting a few more items into Gaza the blockade has been lifted.

This is not the reality. Gaza is still under siege, vital building materials and other supplies are banned, exports of goods from Gaza are denied and neither ships nor people can travel without permission from Israel, permission which Israel will not give. Gaza is essentially an open-air prison under a U.S.-backed Israeli blockade.

We are planning to launch a U.S. boat to Gaza, joining a flotilla of ships from Europe, Canada, India, South Africa and parts of the Middle East due to set sail in September/ October of this year. In order to succeed in this essential but costly human rights project, we need significant financial support. Citizens around the world have responded to the plight of the Palestinian people and are taking action to help break the blockade which is suffocating the lives of the people of Gaza and denying them their liberty.

The U.S. government is complicit through established policies that uncritically support Israel in its brutal attack on the Palestinian people and on those who attempt to intervene on their behalf. We in the United States must continue to step up and do our part. We must join with others from across the world to support an end to the collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza. We turn to you to help make the U.S. boat, The Audacity of Hope, a reality.

The cost is $ 370,000, of which we have raised $ 150,000 so far. We must raise at least $ 200,000 in the next month. These funds will be used to purchase a boat large enough for 40-60 people, secure a crew, and cover the licensing and registering of the boat. In addition, the funds will subsidize some other costs of sending a U.S. delegation. We can make this happen together. For example, with 370 people giving $1,000, or with 3,700 people giving $100, we will have raised our full amount. We have already received donations ranging from $10 to $10,000. So, give what you can and give generously.
From the deck of The Audacity of Hope, we will be in a powerful and unique position to challenge U.S. foreign policy and affirm the universal obligation to uphold human rights and international law. Let us act now because every moment counts and every dollar counts. Together we will contribute to the great effort to end the blockade of Gaza and the illegal occupation of Palestine.

To learn more and to donate on-line, go to: http://ustogaza.org

Please spread this appeal letter far and wide, so that others will contribute as well.

Thank you for your generosity.

On behalf of the U.S. BOAT TO GAZA,

Checks payable to: Way to Jerusalem PHC, write: U.S. BOAT TO GAZA in the memo.

Mail to: The Way to Jerusalem Mission Group

The Potter’s House 1658 Columbia Rd NW Washington, DC 20009

Alice Azzouzi – 703-862-3622

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p.s. Response from the BBC to Rifat’s letter about Death in the Med

Dear BBC blog contributor,

Thank you for contributing to a BBC blog. Unfortunately we’ve had to remove your comment below.

Comments on the BBC blogs may be removed if they are considered likely to provoke, attack or offend others, use swear words, or disrupt the message boards. For more information, please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml#f

Please note that anyone who seriously or repeatedly breaks the House Rules may have action taken against their account.

Please do not reply to this email. For information on appeals visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml

Regards,
BBC Central Communities team
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/

URL of content (now removed):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/blog172/F18496649?thread=7694726&post=99689879#p99689879

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Death in the Med : follow up on the Panorama show

Says Rifat : I called the BBC today and registered an official complaint and had them open a case # for it. I was on the phone with them for quite some time and let them know many points and that I was on the ship when we were attacked as well. I then followed this up with a written complaint on the forms on their website, and also submitted it to the blog page. FYI, my follow-up written comments are below

—

“I was on the Mavi Marmara ship when we were brutally and illegally attacked by the Israeli military in international waters. The episode of Panorama: “Death on the Med” was nothing more than a disgusting piece of Israeli propaganda to put it very mildly. At 2:20 into the show, Jane Corbin states quite bluntly “We got hold of new Israeli military video of the operation”. Yes, that’s exactly it; ISRAELI MILITARY VIDEO. So the only question is, was Jane Corbin in particular and the BBC in general a willing puppet and mouthpiece of the Israeli military or were they just duped into it?? And which of these two possibilities is worse, I’m not even sure.

This Israeli military video and narrative dominated the entire episode. Panorama did not see it fit to refer to the illegality of this piratical attack, involving killing, injuring, hijacking, kidnapping and theft, in international waters. Nor did it challenge any Israeli spokespeople with the illegality of this or question them on it. Further, the program and its so-called reporter did not question the illegality of the Israeli siege on Gaza either, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The program referred to “thousands of rockets” being fired from Gaza into Israel but of course fails to mention the bombardment of Gaza with banned white phosphorous and other weapons that killed over 1400 civilians.

The program and its producers which can undoubtedly only have an agenda, did not question the Israeli spokespeople on why they confiscated all of our footage and tapes if they have nothing to hide. On the contrary, Panorama went ahead and appallingly used doctored tapes given to them by the Israeli military, and presented these as fact.

Why didn’t Panorama mention any of the other ships in the flotilla, or mention that citizens from over 40 countries and various religions (including Jews, Christians and even atheists) and ethnicities participated in it and that many organizations collaborated with IHH on this flotilla? Instead, Panorama was despicably trying to play on people’s fears due to their ignorance of Islam and portray this flotilla as being driven by extreme “Islamists”. There were many British citizens aboard the ship as well, but for some strange reason, Panorama opted not to show a single one of them.

Why didn’t Panorama mention the autopsy reports or challenge the Israeli spokespersons on the fact that the dead victims were shot many times and at close range, thus negating the claim of ‘self-defense’ by the Israeli commandos? More importantly, why didn’t Corbin challenge the simple fact that when you attack and board a civilian ship in the dead of the night with fully armed commandos, helicopters, live rounds, warships and Zodiac boats, the self-defense argument is automatically negated because YOU ARE BEING THE AGGRESSOR.

Why wasn’t the footage shown of the Israeli assaults on the activists? We were able to continue broadcasting for a short period of time even as the Israeli military tried to execute a blackout on their crimes after they started attacking, and some of us were able to smuggle footage out that was uploaded on the internet. This footage shows the Israeli commandos killing the activists, but this was probably incompatible with the agenda that BBC has in mind. Why wasn’t this footage shown and why weren’t the Israelis questioned on this, in the same manner Corbin was showing the Israeli footage to Bulent Yildrim and questioning him on it?? Or do the Israelis get a free pass?

The true evil, Nazi-like, fascist, racist nature of the Israelis came through loud and clear when approximately 26-27 minutes into the show, the Israeli spokesperson incredibly stated “I don’t think the force was excessive”. Within an hour, they had committed a massacre killing 9 people and wounding dozens. How many more before the Israelis think the force is excessive?! And in the same clip, we see there is no response by Panorama’s reporter to this outrageous statement, and no pressing further as to why the deaths of 9 innocent civilians is so cheap to him. Merely meek, repugnant, submissive complacency by Panorama.

As someone who’s been involved with the media for many years now and who helped established a media watchdog group in the USA that was quite influential, I can honestly say that this is one of the shoddiest pieces of “journalism” I have ever seen.”

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Register your complaints re the BBC program last night

The BBC program, Death on the Med on Panorama, is mostly disgusting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXrzF0IOQYE

You can see both sections now on YouTube.

There are a couple of places where they do tell the truth. However, please call and email them and ask them some of these questions.

1. Why was there no investigation of the covered time codes on all of the Israeli video?

2. Why would they repeat the audio tapes that have already been discredited with little or no comment?

3. What right does the BBC have to use video tapes that were stolen from us, then edited, then given to the BBC? Do we have the right to sue the BBC for theft?

4. Why no mention of the other five ships, all of whom were attacked and many passengers who were wounded?

There are other questions for sure, but the BBC (Bumbling Broadcast Corporation) needs to hear from us, especially those who were on the flotilla.

Here are the BBC complaints contacts:

Make a complaint

Phone: +44 3700 100 222*

Textphone: +44 3700 100 212*

Email: https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/

Write: BBC Complaints

PO Box 1922

Darlington
DL3 0UR

—
Greta Berlin, Co-Founder
+33 607 374 512
witnessgaza.com

www.freegaza.org

http://www.flickr.com/photos/freegaza

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From Italy with the new Freedom Flotilla


Beesan Ramadan August 15, 2010 at 1:59pm

The “Palestinians in Italy” association has held a meeting on 31st July 2010 in Rome with different Italian organisations in support of the Palestinian cause. The meeting was attended by more than 70 representatives of the Italian society institutes as well as well respected Italian personalities.

As a representative of the ECESG in Italy, Mohammad Hannoun conducted the meeting accompanied by Germano Monte, the representative of the biggest Italian forum supportive of the Palestinian cause. It was agreed to form an Italian Committee which will be the contact point for the Freedom Flotilla 2. Several participants and journalists expressed their wish to join the Freedom Flotilla 2. As most people are on their summer on vacations these days, it is not the best time for holding meetings and therefore, this matter will be pursued as soon as the summer holidays season is over.

Action minutes of the meeting were taken and signed by the attendants. Some preferred to wait for consultation with their organisations. We are continuously receiving signatures in support of the Italian Freedom Flotilla 2 Committee. The participating organisations have posted the invitation on their websites. Some were rejected after consultation to prevent troublemakers. We are now preparing to meet some Italian politicians in order to introduce the committee to them briefly.

The meeting showed strong support to the Freedom Flotilla 2, the new humanitarian mission that is aiming to break the siege that is still oppressing the people of Gaza. This mission is an important step to respond firmly to the crime committed by Israel against the activists of the previous Flotilla on 31st May 2010.

It was agreed upon during the meeting in Rome to initiate an immediate awareness campaign aiming for the participation in the new international flotilla with one or more Italian vessels composed of Italian activists carrying either collected or purchased humanitarian aid. The meeting has also expressed its support for the initiatives of other convoys planning to reach Gaza by land.

The participants have finally decided to proceed with the coordination between all organisations and individual activists who identify with the objectives of the Freedom Flotilla 2 which are: practical support for people subjected to the embargo, to break the siege of Gaza and to restore the rights of the Palestinian People.

We appeal to all democratic political forces, trade unions, the voluntary sector and international solidarity, peace and antiwar movements, all men and women committed to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, to join the Freedom Flotilla 2 and participate in all the efforts aiming for ending the siege of the Palestinians in Gaza and the recognition of the legitimate Palestinian people’s right to life, land and freedom.

link

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