From the BBC:-


Thank you for your e-mail.

We note your disappointment at our decision not to broadcast an appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee to raise funds for Gaza.

We decided not to broadcast the DEC's public appeal because we wished to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC's impartiality in the context of covering a continuing news story where issues of responsibility for civilian suffering and distress are intrinsic to the story and remain highly contentious. We also could not be confident that the aid resulting from audience donations could reach those it was intended for at a time of a fragile ceasefire and sporadic border access. We will of course continue to report the humanitarian story in Gaza.

The BBC's director-general Mark Thompson has therefore explained the decision in more detail in a number of television and radio broadcasts and online at our Editors' blog. Please follow the link to read his explanation in full:

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2009/01/bbc_and_the_gaza_appeal.html

Please be assured that we have registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Regards

BBC Complaints

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Dear BBC complaints,

"issues of responsibility for civilian suffering and distress are intrinsic to the story and remain highly contentious"

Are you serious?! I would have thought that using the latest and highest technology weapons including white phosphorus in a densely civilian-populated area (land mass less than the area of Birmingham) would have predictably horrific results with the responsibility lying with the oppressor. The Israeli state has provided little evidence that Hamas were using people as 'human shields', so why are the BBC taking this at face value? Furthermore, if evidence does come to light that Hamas were 'using people as 'human shields' then I still cannot see how this justifies the all out assault on a civilian population? What kind of monster would take the decision to bomb schools and hospitals full of men, women, and children under the auspices that weapons might be stored there? 250 children and 1200 adults have been killed. We have heard the tagline "Israel has a right to defend itself" many times now. This appears to be used as some form of justification for the massacre which has taken place. We are told the assault on Gaza was Israel defending itself from Hamas rocket attacks on it's northern border with Gaza. If you look at the death rates as a result of these rocket attacks in 2008, 11 Israeli citizens were killed before the Gaza assault, and 3 afterwards:-

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rocket_and_mortar_attacks_in_Israel_in_2008

To believe that murdering 250 Palestinian children and 1200 adults to 'defend' against the murder of 11 Israeli adults is proportionate, you have to consider the lives of Palestinians to be worth far less than those of Israelis. This is outright racism. If the cause of the suffering was contentious (which it isn't), then this still does not justify refusing to help those who are suffering. The organisations who provide this aid are neutral. Suffering people are suffering people, they should be helped regardless.

"we wished to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC's impartiality"

This argument is perverse because the complete opposite is true. If the BBC had shown the DEC appeal it could easily have been argued that DEC help ALL people who are suffering so there is no discrimination. By not showing the appeal, the BBC have taken an anti-Palestinian stance and exacerbated their suffering.

"We also could not be confident that the aid resulting from audience donations could reach those it was intended for at a time of a fragile ceasefire and sporadic border access."

What? The BBC have beter knowledge on this subject than the organisation within DEC? And if this were true, is refusing to show the DEC appeal going to improve this situation?! Yes, Israel has had an economic siege on Gaza for over a year which has crippled Palestine and brought the population to it's knees, yes Israeli has committed ethnic cleansing to secure land for Israelis, but with the BBCs logic everyone should just let the Palestinians rot because there is a good chance that Israel will try and prevent aid from being transported across the border! Defeatism or Zionism? Hmmm.

Please can you provide a response to the gaping holes I have exposed in your piss poor arguments.


Kind regards,

xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx