SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – JULY 2021

Throughout the month of July 2021, twenty-seven written or filmed reports 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 or other BBC platforms and eight 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)

One item related to diplomatic relations:

Israeli minister’s landmark visit to UAE signals deepening ties Sameer Hashmi (29/6/21 to 5/7/21)

Two reports concerned security issues:

Israel investigating shooting of Palestinian boy in West Bank (29/7/21 to present)

Israel accuses Iran over deadly oil tanker attack (31/7/21 to 1/8/21)

Three items – one of which was carried over from the previous month – related to ‘Operation Guardian of the Walls’ in May and its aftermath:

The precarious life of a Gaza fisherman Tom Bateman (29/6/21 to 13/7/21) discussed here

Israel-Gaza conflict: Apparent war crimes committed, says rights group (27/7/21 to 1/8/21) discussed here

Gaza photographer hopes digital art boom can help raise aid money Sebastian Usher (29/7/21 to present)

Four reports were about allegations concerning the Pegasus spyware:

Pegasus: Spyware sold to governments ‘targets activists’ (19/7/21 to 22/7/21) discussed here

Pegasus: Who are the alleged victims of spyware targeting? now dated 22/7 but published on 19/7 (19/7/21 to present) discussed here

Pegasus: Princess Latifa and Princess Haya numbers ‘among leaks’ (21/7/21 to 27/7/21)

Pegasus spyware seller: Blame our customers, not us, for hacking Joe Tidy (22/7/21 to 27/7/21)

Two items concerned the anti-Israel BDS campaign:

Ben & Jerry’s to stop sales in Israeli settlements in occupied territories now dated 20/7 but published on 19/7 (19/7/21 to 20/7/21) discussed here

Israel PM warns Ben & Jerry’s owner Unilever of consequences over sales ban (20/7/21 to 26/7/21) discussed here

One report carried over from the previous month had an historical/archaeological subject:

Extinct tree from the time of Jesus rises from the dead BBC Reel (21/6/21 to 14/7/21)

One item was about the Olympic games:

Olympics: Munich victims honoured for first time at opening ceremony (24/7/21 to 28/7/21) discussed here

Two reports – one of which was carried over from the previous month – related to internal Palestinian affairs:

Palestinian protests: Crowds clash with police after death of activist (27/6/21 to 18/7/21)

Nizar Banat: Palestinians turn on leaders after activist’s death Joel Greenberg BBC Monitoring (3/7/21 to 14/7/21)

Of eleven items relating to Israeli affairs, three – all carried over from the previous month – concerned Israeli politics:

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)

Naftali Bennett: ‘We will heal the rift’ (13/6/21 to 4/7/21)

‘We hope it’s the beginning of a new Israel’ (14/6/21 to 6/7/21)

Two items were about legislation/government policy:

Israel’s new government fails to extend controversial citizenship law (6/7/21 to 12/7/21) discussed here

Climate change: Israel to cut 85% of emissions by mid-century (25/7/21 to 28/7/21)

Four reports (one of which was carried over from the previous month) related to the Corona pandemic:

Coronavirus: Israel reimposes masks amid new virus fears (25/6/21 to 1/7/21)

Covid: Israel and South Korea strike Pfizer vaccine deal (6/7/21 to 9/7/21) discussed here

Covid-19 tests while you wait in Israeli airport Tom Bateman (18/7/21 to present)

Coronavirus: Israel to give third jab to people aged over 60 (30/7/21 to present) discussed here

One item related to social issues:

After Lod violence, Israeli city’s residents fear for the future Anastassia Zlatopolskai (4/7/21 to 17/7/21) discussed here

One item can be classified as miscellaneous:

Israeli videographer goes viral with sheep drone shots (4/7/21 to 29/7/21)

In addition – not included in our count – eight items relating to and/or tagged Israel appeared in the ‘updates’ section underneath the ‘Middle East’ page but not on the page itself:

Watch: Wildfire rages as Cyprus seeks help from EU and Israel (4/7/21)

Cyprus: Nations send help to tackle worst wildfire in decades (4/7/21)

Esther Bejarano: Auschwitz orchestra member dies (10/7/21)

Covid-19 rules: How six countries fared after easing Covid rules (15/7/21)

Covid: Israel infection surge shows need for caution, doctor says (19/7/21)

Pegasus scandal: Are we all becoming unknowing spies? Gordon Corera (21/7/21) discussed here

Tokyo Olympics: Algerian judoka suspended and sent home after withdrawing to avoid Israeli opponent BBC Sport (23/7/21) discussed here

Alta Fixsler: US visa granted to seriously ill Jewish girl (29/7/21)

With just one new report on internal Palestinian affairs appearing this month, coverage of that topic was once again considerably less than the BBC’s reporting on Israeli affairs. For example BBC audiences have seen no reporting on the continuing arrests related to protests against the death of Nizar Banat, the recent violence between clans in Hebron or the Palestinian Authority’s closure of a media outlet.

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SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – JUNE 2021

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1 Comment

  1. says: Neil C

    The OCD BBC, spews more about Israel than about Russia, China, and the USA combined, thus displaying the extent of their obsessional illness
    #defundthebbc

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