With the World Cup underway, there is understandably plenty of football-related content currently appearing on the BBC News website – including its Middle East page.
But even when a major international tournament is not in progress, the BBC has in the past shown interest in Palestinian footballers (see related articles below) – at least when the stories could be used to promote a specific narrative about Israel.
Here, however, is one recent story which the BBC has refrained from reporting to its audiences.
“The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) on Wednesday announced that it had provided the IDF’s legal division with evidence to indict a Palestinian soccer player for meetings with a Hamas terrorist in Qatar, which he covered up as part of his team’s soccer tour.
The statement said that Samah Fares Muhamed Marava, 22, and Kalkilya resident, left Israel with his team on their soccer tour on April 15.
The Shin Bet said that while in Qatar, Marava met with Talal Ibrahim Abd al-Rahman Sarim, part of Hamas’ military wing, who was previously sentenced to life in prison in Israel, but released and deported as part of the Schalit prisoner exchange. […]
During Marava’s meeting with Talal Sarim, said the statement, Marava received money, a cellphone and written messages that Talal Sarim asked him to bring to Hamas operatives in Kalkilya. This was later confirmed by Muad Sarim who was arrested on May 21.”
The issue of terror financing and support does not seem to be one about which the Palestinian team’s coach is particularly bothered.
“The head coach of the Palestinian national team, Jamal Mahmoud, said he was not aware of a meeting between Maraabeh and Hamas members during the team’s time in Qatar. “If he did talk to a member of Hamas, it was his own individual decision,” Mahmoud said.”
Now; how come the well-staffed BBC Jerusalem Bureau missed that one?
Related Articles:
BBC yet again conceals terror connections of Palestinian ‘footballers’
