The BBC has … started its news broadcast as usual from Ashkelon in Israel, highlighting rocket attacks on Israel. There is no mention on the BBC – there has never been any mention on the BBC, or anywhere in the Western mainstream media – that for at least 4,000 years Ashkelon was an Arab town, until in 1948 the entire, Arab population of 12,000 was driven out by armed force, many being massacred. Doubtless some older inhabitants of Gaza are refugees whose home is Ashkelon.
Israel is exercising its right of self-defence in precisely the same sense that Hitler was exercising the right of self-defence in Normandy in 1944 – ie not at all. Why the world puts up with this blatant ethnic cleansing and prolonged, agonizing genocide of the Palestinian people, I have no idea. It is not just about bombs and rockets and deaths now. It is about the shepherds being pushed out of their village in 2012 as part of the same process as the massacre of Ashkelon in 1948, all a process of genocide of the Palestinians in which Obama, Clinton, Cameron and Hague, as two whole generations of western politicians before them, are actively complicit.
I blogged this on 21 November 2012. Today every single BBC News bulletin leads with precisely the same trick, from precisely the same stolen Arab village. There is evidently a BBC policy to bias coverage of massacre in Gaza by basing it in the stolen town of Ashkelon. Every single BBC news programme is led by a report of the terror of people in Ashkelon at the rocket attacks which have killed and maimed – precisely nobody. There is then a brief “balancing” mention of the continual bombing of Gaza, which sometimes does and sometimes does not mention that at least 25 people have been killed, and hundreds maimed. Of the five reports I have seen, not one has mentioned that many of the Palestinian dead are women and children (although I once saw it on the strapline underneath). Rather the BBC says that “the Israeli government states it is targeting militants and weapons factories”.
The time given to the attacks on Palestine is abut 25% of that given to the rocket attacks on Israel. The coverage is also very different – we see human interest coverage of Israelis hiding from rockets in cafes. There is nothing remotely similar of the Palestinians under infinitely more deadly attack. There was one showing of funeral footage from Gaza, not of any of the women or children killed but of someone the BBC told us was simply a “militant”.
It is so blatant it is absolutely sickening. There are decent people I know in the BBC. Why do they put up with this?
MAP was OK when set up by Dr Swee Chai Ang after she had seen the horrors of Sabra and Shatila.
The Israelis let the militias in.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre
In later times, more of a front organization up with the likes of Lord Patten late of ZBC, as president 2010-11.
They have not changed anything for the Palestinians. http://www.map-uk.org/what-we-do/who-we-are.aspx Makes people feel good about joining organisations, fund raising and donating money.
We know all this ‘news’. http://www.map-uk.org/news.aspx
Charity is not the answer.
PS I see Patten (I’ve been everywhere man!) is still working for the Catholics.
Patten to advise Vatican on media strategy – The Guardian
19 hours ago – Chris Patten, a Roman Catholic, worked on behalf of the British government to manage Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain in 2010.
Ban Ki-Moon, the UN stooge appointed by the USUKIsNATO axis, mouths some meaningless words. He and the UN are irrelevant.
Gaza situation ‘on knife-edge’ – UN chief Ban Ki-moon
10 July 2014
The situation in Gaza “is on a knife-edge”, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said, urging Israel and Palestinian militants to end hostilities.
Mr Ban warned that the region “cannot afford another full-blown war”.
His comments come after Israel said Hamas had fired dozens of rockets at Israeli cities on Wednesday night, following Israeli air strikes in Gaza.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28240999
Not sure if this belongs on a Yes! thread or a Gaza one. Anyway, congratulations.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68408
http://www.snp.org/people/humza-yousaf
Wonder what Hague will bellow in response?
Mr Scorgie
““The Russian state would have bumped him off. Whereas he is alive and well in Nazareth, under Israeli occupation, and free to write whatever he pleases.”
You are trying to say, I think, that Israel maintains a free press even in the occupied areas”
________________________
Doug, you pointed out to me that Jonathan Cook lives in Nazareth and that Nazareth was not in the West Bank occupied territories.
Why then are you now talking about the “occupied areas” and quoting from what Reporters without Borders says about the “occupied Palestinian teritories”?
Are you getting confused again, Doug?
Mr Scorgie
To summarize:
Jonathan Cook lives in Israel (Nazareth) and is free to write what he likes.
A Russian equivalent to Jonathan Cook, writing about Russian behaviour in Dagestan and Chechniya in the same way as Jonathan Cook writes about Israeli behaviour in the West Bank (and about Israel itself) would now be pushing up the daisies.
Clear enough for you, Doug?
***************
BTW – any thoughts about the recent attack on the Brussels Holocaust centre in which 4 people were killed?
Still reflecting on a good answer?
You musn’t let hatred blind you to logic, consistency and truth, Doug.
Think about it, undergo a moral and spiritual rebirth! Perhaps your psychologist friend could help you?
“The IDF on Thursday afternoon contacted by phone Arab residents of Gaza living near the security border, warning them to evacuate their homes immediately.”
________________
Warning civilians to leave an area likely to come under military attack is quite obviously an egregious beach of international law and, as such, fully merits Mr Scorgie’s condemnation at 16h04 above.
That’s right isn’t it, Doug?
“MAP was OK when set up by Dr Swee Chai Ang after she had seen the horrors of Sabra and Shatila.
The Israelis let the militias in.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre
In later times, more of a front organization up with the likes of Lord Patten late of ZBC, as president 2010-11.”
____________________
There you go, Baal, you’ve been told.
Yet another organisation Mary disapproves of. Quelle surprise!
Mary now dislikes ‘the Catholics’ too? Add them to the list.
Catholics,, cyclists (not even in lycra!), MAP, Ban Ki Moon and the UN, Theresa May, Agent Cameron, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lady Justice Butler-Sloss, Habbabkuk, Anon, Resident Dissident, Jews, foxes, toads, turds and so on and so on – Mary dislikes them all.
But the milkj of human kindness has not entirely dried up – she does like Macky (“Don’t you dare leave this blog!”)!
Sorry, I forgot — she does like hens as well (but not cocks, I understand).
Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !
10 Jul, 2014 – 5:19 pm
“BTW – any thoughts about the recent attack on the Brussels Holocaust centre in which 4 people were killed?”
Yes Habbabkuk, it was a despicable crime and I condemn it.
But I think you ask that question because it occurred at the Holocaust Centre.
Two of the victims were Jewish tourists, Emanuel and Miriam Riva, one victim was Moroccan immigrant Alexandre Strens and the other victim was Dominique Sabrier a French woman.
All innocent people.
A thrill is given to the troll when he writes the word ‘cock’ (again) indicating some personal medical malfunction.
Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !
10 Jul, 2014 – 5:22 pm
“You musn’t let hatred blind you to logic, consistency and truth, Doug.”
“Think about it, undergo a moral and spiritual rebirth! Perhaps your psychologist friend could help you?”
Was it something I said Habbakuk?
100,000 Former Soviet Jews In Israel Return To Russia
Michael Mainville
The Toronto Star
http://rense.com/general65/100000formersovietjews.htm
Israeli atrocities elsewhere in Palestine. 7 July 2014
Zionism in practice – Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property
24 hours to 8am 07 July 2014
13 air strikes – 2 attacks – 35 raids including home invasions – 3 beaten – 8 dead – 26 injured – 4 acts of agricultural/economic sabotage – 4 taken prisoner – 6 detained – 108 restrictions of movement
Israeli night air strikes injure 4 children and 2 women
Israeli tanks shell al-Mugheir village
Israeli air strikes kill 5 blockade-resistance tunnel workers
Israeli air strikes on refugee camp kill 2 and injure 1
Israeli air strike on farm kills livestock
Israeli soldiers beat up Palestinian woman refugee
Settler fanatics, wielding metal bars, critically injure Hebron resident on his way to work
Night peace disruption and/or home invasions in 20 towns and villages
http://www.sapienspromise.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3199
Plus long detailed lists of atrocities and violations committed by the IDF and settlers in different parts of Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.
Mr Scorgie
““You musn’t let hatred blind you to logic, consistency and truth, Doug.”
“Think about it, undergo a moral and spiritual rebirth! Perhaps your psychologist friend could help you?”
Was it something I said Habbakuk?”
_______________________
Not at all, Doug, merely the milk of human compassion. The Good Samaritan does not go by on the other side, you know.
A terrible litany of 81 names of the Palestinians killed since Tuesday and the details compiled 3 hours ago.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1405014473.html
“http://rense.com/general65/100000formersovietjews.htm”
_______________________
What a curious website you linked to, Doug. Are you a member of the Green Lizard brigade?
BBC privatisation going well. Good. Dismantle the lot. But note that control of the public service broadcasting and newsgathering stays the way it is.
BBC’s TV production shakeup could extend to news, radio and online
‘Compete or Compare’ strategy could open more areas to indies, except for core PSB activities such as global newsgathering
Tony Hall’s BBC ‘compete or compare’ speech – full text
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/10/bbc-tv-production-news-radio-online-compare-or-compete
Includes photo of a grinning idiot.
Mary
“A terrible litany of 81 names of the Palestinians killed since Tuesday and the details compiled 3 hours ago.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1405014473.html”
__________________
Terrible indeed, Mary.
Do you think Hamas will take heed and – to spare the Gazans such deaths in the future – cease firing (militarily-useless) rockets from Gaza into Israel?
CNN; breaking new ground.
Emphatically saying 81 Palestinians dead- Zero Israelis.
No reason to doubt it, Ben. More than 550 injured, too. A third of Gaza’s hospitals and clincs have zero stocks, btw. Even Egypt is accepting Gazan casualties for treatment. Israel has today issued instructions to Gazans to clear the border area. Inbound traffic is expected to intensify on this one-way system.
It’s only remarkable because it’s focused on the facts in Gaza/Israel, Ba’al.
Check out this video. Diane Sawyer read the chyron and didn’t blink.
http://www.juancole.com/2014/07/stricken-palestinians-israelis.html
I caught the Sawyer story earlier today, Ben. The opposite trick, to a similar end, is played by our adorable media: headline re Hamas rocket shock horror: picture of almighty explosion of IDF ordnance in Gaza with very small title or none. There’s an article somewhere about a survey which showed the abysmal depth of public understanding of who was doing what to whom.
‘Cuz katyushas are even scarier than bottle-rockets on the 4th of July. 🙂
If Hamas had the equivalent of Mark Regev – glad they don’t because then I would have to be equally nauseated by both sides – he would undoubtedly say that, plus or minus the odd bruise sustained scrambling for shelter. the zero casualties sustained by the Israelis prove conclusively that Hamas isn’t aiming to kill civilians.
Actually, I could make a serious case for that myself, thinking about it. If the idiots concentrated their fire instead of spraying missiles notable only for their random ballistics in all directions, they could actually achieve more damage, as well as overwhelming the Iron Dome radars. Statistics support this theory.
I think if some members of Hamas could acquire the ordnance necessary to do real damage, they would use it. As they said about the Joker, ‘some just want to blow up the world. For those types it’s all about revenge and a Palestinian solution would just result in their deployment to another hot spot.
““BTW – any thoughts about the recent attack on the Brussels Holocaust centre in which 4 people were killed?”
Yes Habbabkuk, it was a despicable crime and I condemn it.”
_____________________
Given what you feel about Jews and Israelis, Doug, I hope you won’t be offended if I say that I don’t believe a word of it. Your dissembling lacks all credibility.