Throughout the month of August 2022, twenty-four 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 seven of which were carried over from the previous month.
(dates in brackets indicate the time period – Israel time – during which the item was available on the ‘Middle East’ page)
Three of the items carried over from July related to the US president’s Middle East visit:
Joe Biden heads to Middle East amid faltering US sway Jeremy Bowen (13/7/22 to 10/8/22 and 12/8/22 to 14/8/22) discussed here
Why Biden’s Saudi trip has proved so thorny Barbara Plett Usher (15/7/22 to 14/8/22) discussed here
Palestinian people deserve a state of their own – Biden (15/7/22 to 3/8/22)
Another item also carried over from July concerned the death of an Al Jazeera journalist in May:
Shireen Abu Aqla’s brother: ‘I feel abandoned’ (appeared in ‘updates’ 15/7/22. Moved to ME page 18/7/22 to 5/8/22) discussed here
Operation Breaking Dawn was the topic of eight reports:
Gaza: Emergency services arrive at flats hit by strike (5/8/22 to 29/8/22)
Gaza: Palestinian militant killed as Israel strikes after threats Yolande Knell & Raffi Berg (5/8/22) discussed here
Israel-Gaza: Death toll rises as Israel kills second top militant Yolande Knell & Elsa Maishman (6/8/22 to 7/8/22) discussed here
Israel-Gaza: Emergency services respond after air strike hits building in Gaza (6/8/22 to 29/8/22 and 31/8/22) discussed here
Israel-Gaza: Ceasefire holds overnight after days of violence now dated 8/8 but originally published 7/8 (7/8/22 to 8/8/22) discussed here
Israel-Gaza: Unusual pre-emptive hit by Israel pays off Yolande Knell (8/8/22 to 30/8/22) discussed here
Israel-Gaza: Nine-year-old Gazan recalls fear as Israeli strike hit (9/8/22 to 12/8/22 and 16/8/22 to present)
‘Gaza’s children are used to the death and bombing’ Anna Foster (16/8/22 to present) discussed here
Four reports concerned terrorism, counter-terrorism or terror funding:
West Bank: Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades commander Ibrahim al-Nabulsi killed in Nablus Anna Foster (9/8/22 to 13/8/22) discussed here
Palestinian gunman wounds eight in Jerusalem attack Anna Foster, David Gritten & Matt Murphy (14/8/22 to 18/8/22) discussed here
Palestinian rights groups’ offices raided by Israeli troops Tom Bateman & David Gritten (18/8/22 to 25/8/22) discussed here
Israeli court sentences Gaza aid worker to 12 years in prison David Gritten (30/8/22 to 1/9/22) discussed here
One item related to events following a long-running court case which came to an end in May:
The Palestinians facing mass eviction in the West Bank Yolande Knell (29/8/22 to present) discussed here
One item concerned the anti-Israel BDS campaign:
Ben & Jerry’s fails to stop sales in Israeli settlements (23/8/22 to 28/8/22)
One report related to remarks made by the PA president:
Israel and Germany condemn Palestinian leader’s ’50 Holocausts’ claim David Gritten (17/8/22 to 23/8/22) discussed here
One report related to the Munich Olympics massacre:
Munich Olympics massacre compensation deal struck Malu Cursino (31/8/22 to present) discussed here
One item carried over from the previous month concerned Palestinian affairs:
Jenin in the West Bank: Guns and grief on the rise Tom Bateman (12/7/22 to 17/7/22 and 18/7/22 to 10/8/22) discussed here
Of three reports relating to Israeli affairs, two were carried over from the previous month:
Thousands flock to ultra-Orthodox rabbi’s funeral in Jerusalem (31/7/22 to 10/8/22)
Huge jellyfish swarm surrounds boat in Israel (originally appeared in ‘updates’, later moved to ME page 23/7/22 to 15/8/22)
Palestinian workers forced to get off Israeli bus (10/8/22 to 14/8/22)
In addition – not included in our count – three items appeared in the ‘updates’ section underneath the ‘Middle East’ page but not on the page itself:
Gaza: Dozens of rockets fired into Israel from Gaza Strip
Ramsgate: Tributes paid to Israeli father and daughter killed in crash
Son stole £1.5m from his mother for London shopping sprees
With no new reporting on internal Palestinian affairs appearing throughout August, stories that BBC audiences missed included the arrests of journalists and others by the PA security forces, a Fatah-run terror-glorifying summer camp, a raid on a university, a deadly explosion in the Gaza Strip, celebration of a terror attack and a strike by Palestinian workers objecting to having their wages paid into accounts run by the PA banking system.
Related Articles:
SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – JULY 2022
