SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS

Throughout the month of January 2022, eighteen 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 and four 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 report concerned an incident related to a security operation.

Palestinian-American man, 80, found dead after Israeli raid in West Bank (12/1/22 to 20/1/22)

One item can be classified as miscellaneous:

Israeli photographer captures unique bird spoon image (3/1/22 to 7/1/22)

Two reports had subject matter relating to the Holocaust:

UN defines Holocaust denial in new resolution (20/1/22 to 27/1/22) discussed here

Holocaust Memorial Day: Israeli politician ends Bundestag prayer in tears (27/1/22 to present)

One report concerned a court case in Cyprus:

Ayia Napa: Woman convicted of gang rape lie wins appeal Caroline Lowbridge (31/1/22 to present)

One report concerned internal Palestinian affairs:

Palestinians vent against Hamas in rare online event Yolande Knell & Rushdi Abu Alouf (28/1/22 to 1/2/22) discussed here

Of twelve items relating to Israeli affairs, three concerned legal cases:

Former Israeli PMs Netanyahu and Olmert face off in court in libel case (10/1/22 to 17/1/22)

Israeli ex-PM Netanyahu’s cases could be dropped in plea deal (17/1/22 to 22/1/22)

Sheikh Jarrah: Israeli police evict Palestinians from East Jerusalem home (19/1/22 to 26/1/22) discussed here

One report (which was not updated to reflect later findings) concerned a traffic accident:

Eight Palestinians killed in truck and minibus crash dated 7/1 but first appeared on 6/1 (6/1/22 to 12/1/22)

Two items, one of which was carried over from the previous month, related to domestic security issues:

The Palestinian jailbreak that rocked Israel Tom Bateman (6/12/21 to 27/1/22) discussed here

Israel says it broke up Iranian spy network that recruited women (13/1/22 to 21/1/22)

Three items concerned the Corona pandemic:

Covid: Israel Omicron spike could bring herd immunity but with risks – health boss (2/1/22 to 7/1/22) discussed here

Israel starts giving fourth vaccine dose to over-60s Yolande Knell (3/1/22 to 5/1/22)

‘Fourth vaccine dose works,’ Israel says as case record is broken Yolande Knell (5/1/22 to 11/1/22)

One report carried over from the previous month related to an outbreak of Avian ‘flu:

Israel tries to contain avian flu outbreak after 5,000 wild cranes die (28/12/21 to 3/1/22)

Two items carried over from the previous month were about a celebrity:

Israeli ‘psychic’ Uri Geller still baffling fans at 75 Yolande Knell (26/12/21 to 22/1/22)

Uri Geller: The celebrity who owes his success to spoons Yolande Knell (26/12/21 to present)

In addition – not included in our count – three items (some of which were tagged ‘Israel’) appeared in the ‘updates’ section underneath the ‘Middle East’ page but not on the page itself:

Dame Maureen Lipman questions casting Dame Helen Mirren for Jewish role

The controversial Irish force sent to police Palestine Niall Glynn

True story? Lie detection systems go high-tech Natalie Lisbona BBC Business

As we see, the BBC News website continues its practice of reporting Israeli affairs far more extensively than it does internal Palestinian affairs. Topics ignored by the BBC throughout January 2022 include the imprisonment of a journalist, reports of torture in a PA prison, continuing Palestinian Authority glorification of terrorism, municipal elections, a new delivery of Corona vaccines to the Gaza Strip, an agreement to supply natural gas to the Gaza Strip, the escape of a Hamas commander from a Hamas prison and attacks on Christians by Palestinians.