Throughout the month of June 2021, forty-four written or filmed reports (one of which was removed) relating to Israel and/or the Palestinians appeared on the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page, some of which were also published on other pages and ten of which were carried over from the previous month.
(dates in brackets indicate the time period during which the item was available on the ‘Middle East’ page)
Three items concerned regional issues:
Israel ex-top spy reveals Mossad operations against Iran (11/6/21 to 15/6/21)
Iran election: Israel PM warns world of Ebrahim Raisi (20/6/21) discussed here
Iran nuclear deal: Israel warns Iran as talks progress (20/6/21 to 24/6/21) discussed here
Two items related to diplomatic stories:
Ilhan Omar: US congresswoman defends ‘offensive’ Israel remark (11/6/21 to 14/6/21)
Israeli minister’s landmark visit to UAE signals deepening ties Sameer Hashmi (29/6/21 to present)
Four reports concerned security issues:
Palestinian security officers killed during Israeli raid in West Bank (10/6/21 to 14/6/21)
Palestinian teenager shot dead in clash at protest (11/6/21 to 14/6/21)
Israel strikes in Gaza after fire balloons launched (16/6/21 to 21/6/21) discussed here
Gaza fire balloons draw renewed Israel air strikes (18/6/21 to 22/6/21)
Eleven items – eight of which were carried over from the previous month – related to ‘Operation Guardian of the Walls’ in May and its aftermath.
Israeli air strikes bombard Gaza Strip (17/5/21 to 8/6/21) discussed here
Israel-Gaza: The Thai farm workers coming under attack (19/5/21 to 8/6/21)
Palestinians and Israelis react to ceasefire (21/5/21 to 8/6/21 and 10/6/21)
Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah: The land dispute in the eye of a storm Paul Adams (26/5/21 to 8/6/21 and 10/6/21) discussed here
Mohammed Deif: The one-eyed Hamas chief in Israel’s crosshairs Joshua Nevett (31/5/21 to 17/6/21)
Israel Gaza conflict: Homes and buildings destroyed in Sderot and Gaza City (16/5/21 to 3/6/21)
Israel-Gaza: A conflict on pause as both sides claim victory Jeremy Bowen (23/5/21 to 4/6/21)
Israel-Gaza conflict: UN body to investigate violence (27/5/21 to 1/6/21)
Israel says Gaza tower it destroyed was used by Hamas to try to jam Iron Dome (8/6/21 to 11/6/21) discussed here
The dilemma of rebuilding Gaza without rearming Hamas Yolande Knell (10/6/21 to 21/6/21) discussed here
The precarious life of a Gaza fisherman Tom Bateman (29/6/21 to present) discussed here
Two reports concerned history/archaeology:
Extinct tree from the time of Jesus rises from the dead BBC Reel (21/6/21 to present)
New type of ancient human discovered in Israel Pallab Ghosh (24/6/21 to 28/6/21)
A filmed item about the NGO ‘Parents Circle Families Forum’ which was published on June 9th was removed within hours.
Three reports related to Palestinian affairs:
Covid: Palestinians cancel vaccine swap deal with Israel (19/6/21 to 23/6/21) discussed here
Activist critical of Palestinian Authority dies after arrest (24/6/21 to 28/6/21)
Palestinian protests: Crowds clash with police after death of activist (27/6/21 to present)
Of eighteen items relating to Israeli affairs, one concerned policing:
Israel arrests Palestinian activist Muna el-Kurd in East Jerusalem (6/6/21 to 11/6/21) discussed here
Two were about the Jerusalem march postponed from the previous month because of Hamas attacks:
Israel approves flag march through Jerusalem’s Old City (9/6/21 to 11/6/21) discussed here
Israeli nationalists march through Jerusalem’s Old City (15/6/21)
12 reports related to Israeli politics, two of which were carried over from the previous month:
Israel coalition government a threat to security, warns Netanyahu (31/5/21 to 4/6/21)
Naftali Bennett: The rise of Israel’s new PM (now dated 13/6 but originally published 31/5/21) (31/5/21 to 2/7/21)
Israel opposition face deadline to form new government (2/6/21)
Israel opposition parties agree to form new unity government (3/6/21)
The unlikely coalition that could end Benjamin Netanyahu’s premiership (3/6/21 to 17/6/21)
Benjamin Netanyahu calls to block Israel’s newly formed coalition (3/6/21 to 8/6/21)
Israel’s Netanyahu poised to lose power to new government (13/6/21) discussed here
Netanyahu: A shrewd leader who reshaped Israel Yolande Knell (13/6/21 to 15/6/21)
Naftali Bennett: ‘We will heal the rift’ (13/6/21 to present)
Netanyahu out as new Israeli government approved (13/6/21) discussed here
Israel’s new PM Naftali Bennett promises to unite nation (14/6/21 to 17/6/21) discussed here
‘We hope it’s the beginning of a new Israel’ (14/6/21 to present)
One report can be categorised as miscellaneous:
Three cars collapse into sinkhole in Israel (7/6/21 to 9/6/21 and 11/6/21 to 27/6/21)
One concerned a request from Israel’s president:
Israel president asks Prince of Wales to help Jewish girl, 2 (9/6/21 to 13/6/21)
One item related to the Corona pandemic:
Coronavirus: Israel reimposes masks amid new virus fears (25/6/21 to 1/7/21)
In addition – not included in our count – seven items appeared in the ‘updates’ section underneath the ‘Middle East’ page but not on the page itself:
Google diversity head removed over anti-Semitic blog post (3/6/21)
Pro-Palestinian protesters occupy Runcorn factory roof (11/6/21)
Pro-Palestinian activists arrested over Runcorn factory protest (12/6/21)
Oops, wrong chair: Netanyahu sits in PM’s chair after loss (14/6/21)
Israel strikes Gaza in response to arson balloons (16/6/21)
Leicester book firm donates to help shop destroyed in Gaza (15/6/21)
Anti-Semitic reports in London hit new high, charity says Guy Lynn (15/6/21)
Over half of the BBC’s coverage related to two topics: the previous month’s eleven-day conflict that began after Hamas attacked Israel on May 10th and the new Israeli government. Although some coverage of Palestinian affairs was seen this month, it was still considerably less than the reporting on Israeli affairs – as is usually the case.
Related Articles:
SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – MAY 2021
As always a month of a disproportionate number of reports, in comparison to the rest of the world’s news, the vast majority of which are biased against Israel, with almost no reporting of Palestinian affairs, merely displays the level of the BBC’s antisemitic hatred of Israel and the Jews living therein. #defundthebbc