I had the misfortune to watch Panorama the other evening regarding the Mavi Marmara (“Death on the Med”….interesting title as it certainly evoke the investigative qualities of “Death on the Rock”) and the death of activists on that boat. I say misfortune because it was utterly biased and came across as propaganda for the Israeli State. There was no political context about the Gaza blockade, instead activists on the flotilla were described as “terrorists” this wasn’t questioned by Jane Corbin. The whole programme was terrible, wasn’t investigative in the least just lazy right-wing journalism.
I mean, how are people expected to respond when confronted with an armed hostile force in international waters? What were people on the Mavi Marmara expected to do? Rather than concentrating on the behaviour of the activists on the boat what about the behaviour of the Israeli State who committed piracy in international waters, run roughshod over international law and indulged in nothing less than murder and terrorism. That are more like execution style killings at that close range (especially as many were head shots…). But none of this was investigated as the BBC were far more interested in giving the Israeli State an easy time.
But then what do you expect from the BBC who refused to transmit the DEC appeal on Gaza, and initial reports on the attack on the Mavi Marmara the BBC interviewed former Israeli commandos who spouted the line along with a naval officer who defended storming the flotilla. Nothing whatsoever about the mission of the flotilla, or the war crimes and acts of terrorism committed against the Palestinians in Gaza. Instead Mark Thompson (Director-General) capitulated time and time again to the pro-Zionist lobby
Liam has written a post along with the questions PSC are asking people to include when complaining to the BBC about the programme . And I am certainly in the process of writing my complaint.
Also Pulse has posted an article by Ken O’Keefe who was interviewed by the Panorama programme. I recommend that you read it.
Ken O’Keefe writes: The BBC mentions that we were in international waters at the very end of the story, as if this were an insignificant fact. The fact that Israel stole all the footage that it could, footage that undoubtedly shows them firing 4 bullets to the head of the 19-year-old American passenger, Furkan Dogan. No problem. Executing people at close range, no worries. The fact that the blockade itself is illegal, nah, don’t mention that. 800,000 plus children in Gaza, malnourished, anemic, traumatised… not important.
I would need to review this program many times over to identify every poisoned tactic that the BBC employed in order to do what they do so well, justify murder and war.
Nevertheless BBC’s perversion of the truth will elevate the cause of justice immensely, delegitimizing itself in such grand fashion was indeed a great big gift.
Hats off to ya BBC!
BBC have a response, it is utterly patronising and arrogant-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/response/2010/08/100818_res_panoramadeathinthemed.shtml
Thanks Rick, just had a look, the final paragraph and sentence was a larf…
“We believe the programme was balanced and impartial, going to great lengths to give opposing sides the opportunity to air their views.”
Seems like the BBC have a different interpretation of “balanced” and “impartiality”….
Good points there. I’m planning on making a complaint soon & can’t believe how the BBC in their response completely ignore the fact the ship was in international water.
To really make your blood boil check out how the folks at ‘Biased BBC’ claim the BBC are still biased AGAINST Israel: http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/search/label/anti Israel
I think it was worse than lazy it was carefully crafted to evoke anti Islam and then anti Turk prejudice as I say in my letter here http://oxfordpsc.blogspot.com/2010/08/letter-to-bbc.html
And I don’t think Jane Corbyn is particularly the one to blame. It’s true she seems to be a friend of the establishment, prefering to be an inbeded reporter, and married to a lord who criticised Robin Cook for objecting to Israel’s housing policy in Jerusalem, but she has been able to rise above this and made some balanced programmes in the past. It is surely the BBC itself.
Anyway PSC now has the next steps that you can take after recieving the reply from the BBC.See the PSC website.
Its quite utterly crazy how many cannot understand the basis of a proramme. Panorama: Death in the Med, is meant to uncover the truth about the Aid Flotilla’s that tried to breech Israels naval blockade of Gaza.
This has nothing to do with why the bloackade is even there or the current conditions in Gaza. Was it legal for Israeli commandos to storm the ships…..the answer that both the BBC, the UN and every sane state in the world is…..undoubtably…..yes! Was this ship full of humanatarians trying to deliver aid to Gaza…..the answer is no!
If there is no doubt that the offending ships have made a firm determination to break the blockade, then the blockade may be enforced before the offending ships cross the line into domestic waters. Again the United States and other Western countries have frequently boarded ships at high sea in order to assure their security. This is defined in San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea…….the only comprehensive internal instrument ever drafted on the law of naval warfare.
The act of breaking a military siege is itself a military act. And let there be no mistake about the purpose of this flotilla; it was decidedly not to provide humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, but rather to break the entirely lawful Israeli military blockade. The proof lies in the fact that both Israel and Egypt offered to have all the food, medicine and other humanitarian goods sent to Gaza, if the boats agreed to land in an Israeli or Egyptian port. That humanitarian offer was soundly rejected by the leaders of the flotilla, who publicly announced: “This mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it’s about breaking Israel’s siege on 1.5 million Palestinians.” quote the organisers of the charity.
If any person on the boat picked up a weapon and began to attack Israeli soldiers, they legally lose their status as innocent civilians. Civilian rules of self-defence, every Israeli soldier had the right to protect himself and his colleagues from attack by knife- and pipe-wielding assailants. Every individual has the right to repel such attacks by the use of lethal force. That was especially true in this case, when the soldiers were so outnumbered on the deck of the ship. Recall that Israel’s rules of engagement required its soldiers to fire only paintballs unless their lives were in danger.
Hello Happy Marx! Have just posted my own critique of the programme but will update and cross reference yours. I don’t see the point though in complaining directly to the Beeb. They just spin the usual line about their “mission to explain” and their commitment to “balanced and impartial journalism”.
I like your site, by the way. Onwards and upwards comrade.
AA.