HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

SouthCoast Indymedia

Media disinformation regarding Israel's murderous assault - The role of the BBC

William Bowles | 03.06.2010 15:04 | Analysis | Anti-militarism | Other Press | South Coast | World

More newsspeak from the BBC, that having spent years helping to demonize (democratically elected) Hamas, is clearly worried that Israel’s actions threaten to undo all the ‘good work’ the BBC has done on behalf of it patron, Israel.





Media disinformation regarding Israel's murderous assault in international waters
The role of the BBC

by William Bowles, 2 June 2010


“Israeli commandos had paintball guns” – Israeli Ambassador to Russia, Anna Azari

“This happened in waters outside of Israeli territory, but we have the right to defend ourselves.” — Israeli military spokeswoman, Avital Leibovich


In Yiddish it’s called Chutzpah, to have the nerve to say something outrageous, the perfect description—if what was said wasn’t so odious—by Israeli propagandists. I’m talking here about an Israeli spokeman on RT.com the other night, attempting to justify the murderous assault on the Gaza aid activists. Attack becomes “defence”, international waters become Israeli, or not as the case may be.

Actually Chutzpah doesn’t even begin to describe the venomous and hysterical rantings of the Israeli spokesman. Eventually it just got too much for me to watch.

On the other hand we have the ‘measured tones’ of your standard BBC model, allegedly impartial and objective, yet they’re both united by a common worldview.

In the first, the Israeli one, we have the archetypal ‘Goebbels’ style, repeat the lies often enough, shout it even and the job is done. Sheer brute force stamps the Zionist reality on your forebrain.

In the second, it’s the ‘measured tones’ of the BBC repeated ad infinitum that do the trick, for underpinning both is the ideology of superiority, both racial and cultural. The BBC method is more subtle, it has all the marks of a reasoned approach to the event but amounts to the same thing; a justification for barbarism.

I think it’s worth analyzing a complete ‘analysis’ by the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent [sic] Jonathan Marcus as to how they pull off the stunt of pulling the wool over the reader’s eyes.

First off, the piece below completely avoids mentioning anything about the illegal and murderous actions of the IDF, instead it concentrates on the public relations problems the Israelis have created for themselves by their actions. But is this the purpose of BBC’s ‘objective’ reporting method? In other words, is this article news or blatant propaganda for Israel?

The entire piece reads as if the BBC has a lot invested in what Israel does, which when you think about it, is exactly right. After all, the bulk of the BBC’s ‘news’ consists of official Israeli propaganda, and is reprinted without even bothering to insert ‘allegedly’ before regurgitating Israel’s outrageous newsspeak. Here is the BBC article in its entirety, broken up by my observations:

‘Israel faces flotilla raid fallout’

“This was always going to be a high-risk operation for Israel, both in terms of reputation and diplomatic repercussions."

Note that the human repercussions of the murderous attack doesn’t figure, the writer is only concerned with the PR.

"Taking over vessels at sea is no easy task, even if the units carrying out the mission are well trained, and it is especially difficult if the people already on board the vessels resist."

No doubt the writer speaks from experience? Resist? A ship in international waters is attacked from the air and the sea with guns firing and all the writer is concerned with is how difficult the operation is! It doesn’t occur to him that in fact the people onboard had every right to defend themselves.

"The full details of what happened will emerge in time, but in political terms the damage has already been done."

But I doubt that you’ll read them on the BBC Website and again as with the entire article the writer ignores the human damage done.

"The deaths threaten to make what was always going to be a potential public relations disaster for Israel into a fully-fledged calamity."

But not if the BBC has anything to do with what is legally an Act of War against the sovereign state of Turkey. “Calamity” is an odd choice of words for the BBC, not one it applies to the deaths of innocents on the high seas but to the problems it creates in selling the state of Israel!

"But the political ramifications could be even more serious."

Now this invites speculation on what these ramifications are for Israel. Unfortunately the writer seems to have run out of words to describe what these ramifications could be. Instead, we find the writer speculating on what effect it could have on NATO member Turkey, also a strong supporter of Israel, until now that is.

"A Turkish charity had a major role in organising this flotilla.

The Palestinian issue plays strongly in Turkish public opinion, where the tide is already strongly critical of Israel.

This episode will only make matters worse."

At last, we get down to the nub of this BBC spin piece. What matters is not the actions of the Israelis, but the fact that it creates problems for the Empire. It threatens to unravel the carefully constructed story erected around the settler state called Israel and the ‘terrorists’. Question this and ergo, one has to question all the rationales for the Empire’s actions, clearly a step too far for the BBC, so deeply enmeshed is it in the affairs of the Empire.

"Turkish politics is changing. Groups like the military who always backed strong ties with Israel now have less political clout.

Relations between the two countries are ratcheting downwards with few pressures operating in the opposite direction to improve ties.

This incident at sea also firmly puts the spotlight on Gaza and Israel’s efforts to control access to the territory.

Gaza is unfinished business with all three key players – Israel, Egypt and the United States, all happy to try to isolate the Hamas government there."

The open prison that is the Gaza Strip, where 1.5 million people are denied the basics of life, shot at and bombed virtually every day, is as far as the BBC is concerned merely “unfinished business”.

"But, as aid agencies warn, this isolation comes at a price for the ordinary people of Gaza and this incident catapults their plight firmly into the spotlight." — ‘Israel faces flotilla raid fallout’ By Jonathan Marcus, 31 May, 2010

More newsspeak from the BBC, that having spent years helping to demonize (democratically elected) Hamas, is clearly worried that Israel’s actions threaten to undo all the ‘good work’ the BBC has done on behalf of it patron, Israel. Note too that the writer finally manages to mention the “ordinary people of Gaza”, not that he is worried about their plight, but that the Israeli attack puts them “firmly into the spotlight”, obviously the last thing the BBC wants to happen.

William Bowles
- Homepage: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19503

Comments

Hide the following 14 comments

Out of context

03.06.2010 15:51


This analysis of the BBC diplomatic correspondent’s analysis is risible. It takes the correspondent’s piece totally out of context, ignoring the fact it appeared alongside dozens of articles and video reports which did focus on the attack and its victims.

It suggests the BBC has refused to note the criticism of Israel’s account, apparently not noticing the video on a BBC newspage titled “Doubts cast on Israeli raid account”, and so on.

The poster thinks it’s outrageous that this particular journalist focussed on the diplomatic fall-out, rather than the human tragedy. Why would the BBC journalist do that? Well, the clue’s in his job title – he’s the diplomatic correspondent. Of course that’s what his analysis will focus on. Other reporters reported on the victims, and the eye witnesses to the attack.

As I’ve noted before, for every person who moans about the BBC being “obviously” in the pocket of Israel, you’ll find another moaning that they are anti-zionist Israel-bashers. See the weirdos on Biased BBC, saying the “Jihad excusing BBC” has lost all objectivity. Their take on the BBC citing Israel sources is somewhat different to the usual one on Indymedia. “The qualifying prefix ‘Israel says’ must be added to anything speculative, factual, or plain as a pikestaff, if it alludes to Israel in any favourable or mitigating kinda way, to remind the gullible viewer that ‘Israel’ may be lying.” Okaaay.

William's piece above suggests the BBC was evil to look at the potential conflict between Israel and Turkey. That issue would seem worth noting, unless you think conflicts between nations are trivial and would much rather waste time tying yourself in knots trying to prove that the BBC is, sigh, “Goebbells-like”. (Have you heard of Godwins law?)

Norvello


The BBC is more balanced than your website

03.06.2010 17:30

Globalresearch is a conspiracy site that claims the BBC was in on 911.

Anon


The BBC coverage was appalling

03.06.2010 18:08


The BBC coverage was appalling. I could not believe my eyes:

* It provided to the most rabid Israeli officials ample time to deliver their lies.
* It did not interview any of the organizers of the flotilla.
* It did not mention that the convoy includes 35 European parliamenterians, a Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivors.
* It did not mention that it received the backing of eminent world figures.
* It did not mention that the attacked ships were in international waters.
* It did not mention that the blockade of Gaza is illegal.

I wonder whether there is an organization in the UK dedicated to combat the propaganda system of the BBC.

Brenda


Yeah well said Brenda

03.06.2010 19:56


The BBC's coverage is appallling....

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll


@Norvello

03.06.2010 21:38

I've read many of your comments on here Norvello and many of them are in the same vain. You appear to be an Israeli apologist at the very least (I'll stop short of tainting you with the Hasbara brush).

Whether the BBC makes a conscious decision to be pro-Israeli or not, that is what they appear to be. I'm not for one minute suggesting that they have a policy of reporting Israel in the best possible light, but that is what happens.

One instance I found particualrly disturbing this last week was when someone from BICOM was being interviewed along with a Palestinian representative. When the woman from BICOM was answering her questions they showed her face on the screen, when the Palestinian representative was talking they showed the IDF footage of protestors throwing a soldier overboard and attacking others with sticks etc (whick IMO was justified if you hunt out the unedited Al Jazeera footage and notice that they report at least one fatality on the main boat PRIOR to the helicopeters dropping off their thugs AND you can hear gunfire in the background).

Now from a neutral POV that is BOUND to have a negative effect on sympathy for the Palestinian representative and the points he was making. Whether this obvious bias is institutional or not it is bias, they could have shown footage of white phosporous raining down on innocents in Gaza when the BICOM rep was speaking but they didn't!

No-one at the BBC has asked why the clips released by the IDF start at that particular point, what happened prior to that point and, indeed, if live fire had been used prior to boarding.

What Israel did this time (and many others) was morally reprehensible and I would love to hear your opinions on it, rather than skirting round the issue with comments on whatever you think you can shoot down (and unfortunate choice of phrase I realise).

FREE PALESTINE, LONG LIVE GAZA.

Ashley


Actually

04.06.2010 00:57

> * It did not mention that the attacked ships were in international waters.

Bad as the BBC coverage was, it did at least mention this.

Kira


Israeli apologist??

04.06.2010 07:12


I totally condemn the attack, as well as Israel's actions in Gaza, and believe Israel has been acting illegally before this. I'd love to see what on earth you claim I've written that makes me an "Israeli apologist". Pointing out factual errors, or unjustified conspiracy theories doesn't make that the case. My complaint was that you're wasting time desparately trying to knock the BBC when attention would be better spent on Israel. 

As for Brenda... Did you read, for example, the news piece that accompanied the analysis above?
 
"* It provided to the most rabid Israeli officials ample time to deliver their lies."

Would you prefer to be in the dark about what Israel's excuses are? In the pieces over the last few days, any comments by Israel have been outweighed, correctly, by ones from its critics.
 
"* It did not interview any of the organizers of the flotilla."

Utter rubbish. The BBC piece extensively quoted Arafat Shoukri, of the Free Gaza Movement (FGM). 
 
"* It did not mention that the convoy includes 35 European parliamenterians, a Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivors. 
* It did not mention that it received the backing of eminent world figures."

It mentioned the Nobel prize winner repeatedly, as well as Henning Mankell and several of the politicians and eminent world figures. There's a whole piece about its eminent supporters, such as Tutu.
 
"* It did not mention that the attacked ships were in international waters."

The BBC piece said: "It happened about 40 miles (64 km) out to sea, in international waters."

* It did not mention that the blockade of Gaza is illegal. 

Funny, because the BBC's right-wing critics are outraged the broadcaster keeps suggesting it is illegal. As one of the weirdos who writes Biased BBC put it: 'the BBC have a really interesting home page. The side bar with "other top stories" leads with "Israel's actions "against International law" and then there is "Is Israel's blockade legal?"'

You can't switch on a minute of rolling news and say, just from that, "Oh... The BBC has never dared mention X"

Norvello


Accept that the BBC has been co-opted by zionism.

04.06.2010 09:34

By now it's should be obvious to anyone that the BBC has aligned itself to the zionist ideology and will act as a propaganda machine. We've known this since Gilligan/Kelly, the Hutton enquiry and the removal of Greg Dyke for the sin of allowing the truth to be broadcast in the run up to the attack on Iraq.

It's no good simply wishing that the BBC would be impartial.

This is why alternative media such as the IMC is so important at getting the truth out.
I'd suggest concentrating on helping the Independent Media movement as much as possible.

Accept that the BBC has been co-opted by zionism.

Sue Denim


bias, my arse

04.06.2010 09:58

maybe if the BBC is attacked for being biased by both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine factions, then it's actually getting it about right in terms of balance!

I have problems with so-called journalistic objectivity, and the verifiability of sources, and so the undue waiting given to eg government sources over others, but I understand it as the limitations of the press at the moment, and I don't expect them to be Indymedia.

And when the BBC contains a factual mistake in their articles, or fails to link to the group organising stuff, and I've written to them to get it corrected, they do so, which usually surprises me!

reader


not waving but drowning

04.06.2010 11:54

No,

Indymedia Uk (some are still quite effective and balanced) is becoming a parody of itself with its obsession with I/P, migration and animal rights. though, of course this this is all a reflection of the state of activism and the left in the UK today. I was involved in IUK in its early days in London and hoped it would become a key element in discussing and reporting on the issues that affect our citizens inc the poor, pensioners, workers in struggle, this hasn't happened, for instance it has taken nearly 10 years for one of its centre columns to cover welfare issues, an issue that affects millions in the UK. of course it should cover the three issues mentioned above, but it shouldn't be dominated by it. Now, we have another bout of hysteria over the Flotilla, a truly dreadful event to be sure, but there are massacres around the world daily and it will surely used by the ex SWP run(rees/german) SWTC to drum up support for its failed agenda, etc .

oh and for the posters who call anyone who disagrees with them 'trolls'

grow up!

mancboy


Re: not waving but drowning

04.06.2010 13:20

" this hasn't happened, for instance it has taken nearly 10 years for one of its centre columns to cover welfare issues, an issue that affects millions in the UK"

The middle column features knit together recent newswire articles, if you want to see more newswire articles about welfare then write them. If you want to see a middle column feature about welfare, then write one, anyone can submit one to the features email list, and this has always been the case:-

 imc-uk-features@lists.indymedia.org


Don't hate the media, be the media!

Xe


nothing new

04.06.2010 23:49

'Indymedia Uk (some are still quite effective and balanced) is becoming a parody of itself with its obsession with I/P, migration and animal rights.'

Take away the tired screeds from 'Global Research', the ALF, Latuff, and 'we went into the street and held a placard, here's a snap of brave brave me' set, and what's left of Indymedia UK? Schnews.

But when you tell IMC UK that they're swirling the toilet bowl, they blame you for not saving it. Themselves? Never!

typische


Mancboy said

05.06.2010 02:08

"there are massacres around the world daily and it will surely used by the ex SWP run(rees/german) SWTC to drum up support for its failed agenda, etc"

And after all there were only 35 Brits on the Flotilla, so why the hell should Indymedia include coverage of it.Its not as if its part of British activism or anything, is it?

Anyone who has been following the story as it comes out will know that it is a prime example of how media disinformation is created, and how the people of Israel have been duped by absolute lies and disinformation in the process.Here's a prime example:  http://aliabunimah.posterous.com/proof-emerges-idf-audio-of-radio-communicatio

It has also been incredibly instructive in how corrupt and useless the politicians and institutions are, and has a major impact in focussing the world on the 1088 day siege of Gaza.It is a tale of the power of Direct Action.

If showing solidarity with victims of state bullying and solidarity activists is not something that mancboy feels is worthy of Indymedia, what exactly does he think it should be covering? And where did he get the idea that Indymedia's task was to shape the news. Is it not an open publishing site where " a network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues" any more?

long term user


A category mancboy missed: whingers and complainers

07.06.2010 08:51

Mancboy missed a classic category of Indymedia posters: whingers who complain about anything other people put on Indymedia without contributing anything positive themselves. Negativists who only criticise and slag off other people.

;-)

anon


Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

-->

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

South Coast [navigation.actions2016]

South Coast [navigation.actions2015]

South Coast [navigation.actions2014]

NATO 2014

South Coast Actions 2013

G8 2013

South Coast Actions 2012

Workfare

South Coast Actions 2011

2011 Census Resistance
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Occupy Everywhere

South Coast Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

South Coast Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

South Coast Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

South Coast Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

South Coast Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

South Coast Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

South Coast Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

South Coast Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech