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PROUD VOICE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
BBC chair demands Gaza coverage review 12 September 2024 • 8 Ellul 5784 • Issue No.1384 •
@JewishNewsUK
‘Deep, systematic’ analysis of our output since 7 October needed, says Samir Shah THE BBC’s coverage of Israel and its war with Hamas in Gaza should be subject to a “deep, systematic” review, according to the corporation’s chairman Samir Shah, writes Lee Harpin. “The Israel-Gaza story is a very, very complicated story and there are very strong emotions on both sides,” he told the House BBC chair Samir Shah (left) and directorof Lords’ Communications and general Tim Davie are grilled by peers Digital Committee. He said: “We will look at that piece “I chair the editorial guidelines and standards committee and that is of research and take it seriously, in part of the process where complaints good faith. Every accusation we’ve are discussed, talked about and had on the Arabic service we have looked at. Now, the issue is not eveaddressed.” Shah said he believed that the ryone agrees with the outcome. We’ve conflict between Israel and Hamas taken disciplinary action. “Broadly, I think we are doing should be the subject of the next “thematic review” conducted by the BBC. a very good job and the research Appearing alongside Shah on the that we have into the overall public committee, BBC director-general response is good. But that doesn’t Tim Davie insisted that the corpora- mean we are perfect.” Davie added: “We take complaints tion took every complaint about its coverage seriously, including against seriously. We’ll go through them and we won’t just be, frankly, in autothe BBC Arabic service.
defence. But we also stand up for our journalists. We’ll stand up for people doing a good job.” The pair spoke after a review driven by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and published by a British lawyer, Trevor Asserson, who runs Israel’s largest international law firm, claimed that the BBC had downplayed the terrorism of Hamas. It also claimed that the corporation had broken its own editorial guidelines more than 1,500 times in its reporting of the conflict. Responding to the findings, the BBC said it had “serious questions” about the methodology of the report. In Tuesday afternoon’s session Shah was asked about how the corporation was responding to complaints about its coverage of the Middle East. “The current Middle East conflict is one area we should consider very seriously to be subject to a deep, systematic analysis of how we cover it,” said Shah. “It’s a very difficult story. In Continued on page 9
KATE GIVES CHAI HOPE TO CANCER PATIENTS Chai Cancer Care this week welcomed the Princess of Wales’ decision to release a video about completing chemotherapy. Chief executive Lisa Steele said: ‘The princess’ brave and honest message will provide comfort and inspiration to all those affected by cancer. Hope prevails through the toughest times’
TRUMP: ISRAEL DOOMED UNDER HARRIS
The candidates went head to head on Tuesday
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump clashed over the war in Gaza during Tuesday’s presidential election debate. The Democratic hopeful said Israel’s fight against Hamas was justified but the war “must end immediately,” in part because of how many Palestinians have been killed. Trump predicted that if Harris wins, Israel would disappear “in two years”.
Moderators at the evening debate in Philadelphia asked Harris to explain her repeated claims that Israel has the right to defend itself, but also that “it matters how” it conducts the war. She made the same arguments she has in the past, saying she would ensure Israel could defend itself and that she believed Hamas was to blame for the war. “Let’s understand how we got
here. On 7 October Hamas, a terrorist organisation, slaughtered 1,200 Israelis, many of them young people who were simply attending a concert, women were horribly raped, and so absolutely I said then, I say now, Israel has a right to defend itself. We would,” she said. She continued: “How it does so matters, because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed — children,
mothers. What we know is that this war must end. It must end immediately.” Trump, as he has before, claimed the 7 October attack would not have happened on his watch because of sanctions he placed on Iran, which funds the terror group. He said Iran was “broke under Donald Trump” and unable to fund its other proxies including Hezbollah in Lebanon.