The BBC News website’s July 29th written report on the release of Ahed Tamimi from prison included a filmed report by BBC Arabic’s Nida Ibrahim which was also posted separately on the ‘Middle East’ page under the title “Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi released from prison“.
The filmed report’s synopsis erases the fact that the most serious charge against Tamimi – and one she admitted in her plea bargain – was the charge of incitement.
“Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi has been released from prison after serving an eight month sentence for kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier.”
The synopsis also glorifies Tamimi’s violence:
“While in jail, 17-year-old became the new face of Palestinian resistance, the BBC’s Nida Ibrahim reports.”
In the film itself the charge of incitement was likewise entirely erased from audience view. [emphasis in bold added]
“This is the moment the family of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi were waiting for. She has been released from prison after serving an eight month sentence for slapping an Israeli soldier. The Palestinian teen had a few words to the crowd.
A. Tamimi: “I want to thank everyone for coming here today. I hope that everyone comes to the press conference so I can deliver my message and the message of all female prisoners who wanted me to speak for them.”
Viewers then saw footage marked “December 2017”.
“This is the incident Ahed was arrested for along with her mother, Nariman Tamimi. She was kicking the soldiers outside her home reportedly an hour after they shot her 15 year-old cousin in the head with a rubber bullet. Since the incident, Ahed has become a heroine in the Palestinian territories. But Israelis accuse her and her family of staging Palestinian propaganda. Her father, a long-time activist himself, denies it.”
BBC Arabic’s Nida Ibrahim was then shown interviewing Bassem Tamimi at his house in Nabi Saleh. Viewers were not told of the nature and extent of the Tamimi family’s ‘activism’.
B. Tamimi: “To resist is normal. Not to resist is abnormal. You must feel guilty that you keep silent under the occupation. We’re fighting for our dignity and our right.”
Ibrahim: “Do you want to try keep her safe at home, for example?”
B. Tamimi: “Is home safe? Is home safe? I don’t think it’s safe. Where is the safe place in Palestine? I don’t know.”
Remarkably, since January of this year Bassem Tamimi has been interviewed in his home by BBC Jerusalem bureau correspondent Yolande Knell, by BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen and now by BBC Arabic’s Nida Ibrahim.
Viewers were then told that:
“Ahed’s village of Nabi Saleh has long been a point of confrontations. The residents organise weekly protests to oppose the neighbouring Israeli settlement built on Palestinian land.”
That “neighbouring Israeli settlement” is Halamish which is located in Area C and – in contrast to the BBC’s claim – was in fact established on state land.
Viewers then saw more of Nida Ibramim’s glorification of Tamimi.
Ibrahim: “During the time Ahed was in prison her father renovated a big part of the house to prepare for his wife and daughter’s release. The teenager comes to a new home and a new reality being the new iconic face of Palestinian resistance.”
The film closed with a noteworthy image of a Palestinian flag raised over Halamish and the words:
“But for now Ahed will enjoy being home, united with her family.”
Once again we see that Nida Ibrahim and her BBC Arabic colleagues have produced a filmed report for the BBC’s English language services which promotes inaccurate information, erases the main part of Ahed Tamimi’s conviction from audience view, whitewashes the Tamimi clan’s PR business and links to terrorism and glorifies Ahed Tamimi’s violence with propaganda straight out of the family playbook.
So much for the BBC’s obligation to provide “accurate and impartial news…of the highest editorial standards“.
Related Articles:
One sided reports from BBC Arabic’s Nida Ibrahim – part one
BBC News one-sided reporting of Ahed Tamimi story persists
BBC News website promotes the Tamimi clan again
BBC News omits a relevant part of the Tamimi charges story
BBC radio’s inconsistent coverage of charges against Ahed Tamimi
BBC’s Knell reports on the Tamimi case again – and raises a question
BBC’s Bowen diverts Ahed Tamimi story with a disingenuous red herring
Jeremy Bowen’s Tamimi PR continues on BBC World Service radio
BBC continues its campaigning with eleventh report on Ahed Tamimi
BBC WS ‘Newshour’ continues to trivialise the Ahed Tamimi story
The BBC’s partisan coverage of the Ahed Tamimi case continues