SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – JULY 2023

Throughout the month of July 2023, forty 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 six 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)

Fourteen items related to a two-day counter-terrorism operation in Jenin, coverage of which was discussed here, here, here and here:

Air strikes as Israel begins Jenin operation (3/7/23 to 5/7/23)

Jenin: Israeli military launches major operation in West Bank city Yolande Knell & David Gritten (3/7/23 to 4/7/23)

What is happening in Jenin… in 60 seconds Jo Floto (3/7/23 to 11/7/23) discussed here

Live page (3/7/23 to 5/7/23)

Watch: Explosions and gunfire as BBC reports from Jenin Yolande Knell (3/7/23 to 11/7/23)

Watch: BBC editor ducks as gunfire interrupts report Jeremy Bowen (4/7/23 to present)

Israel’s Jenin operation reignites Palestinian anger Jeremy Bowen (4/7/23 to present)

Stones thrown and tear gas fired near Jenin hospital (4/7/23 to 25/7/23) discussed here

Gaza-Israel exchange of fire as Israeli forces complete Jenin withdrawal David Gritten (5/7/23)

BBC reports from inside Jenin refugee camp after Israeli assault Anna Foster & Jeremy Bowen (5/7/23 to 7/7/23 and 12/7/23 to present)

Palestinian families return to rubble in Jenin refugee camp Eman Eriqat & Alaa Daraghmeh (5/7/23 to present)

Jenin: Palestinians fear escalation after destructive West Bank assault Tom Bateman (5/7/23 to 8/7/23 and 11/7/23 to present)

Jenin: Palestinian boy killed during Israeli assault was unarmed – family Tom Bateman (11/7/23 to 16/7/23) discussed here

Jenin: Abbas bids to reassert control with rare visit after Israeli assault Tom Bateman (12/7/23 to 20/7/23)

Four items concerned terrorism or other counter-terrorism operations:

Tel Aviv: Seven injured in Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack David Gritten (4/7/23 to 6/7/23) discussed here

Tel Aviv attack: ‘He got out of his vehicle and began trying to stab people’ (4/7/23 to 27/7/23)

Nablus: Two Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in West Bank Tom Bateman (7/7/23 to 12/7/23) discussed here

Palestinian gunmen killed near West Bank Samaritan community Raffi Berg (25/7/23 to 30/7/23) discussed here

One report concerned an EU envoy:

Israel condemns EU envoy’s Gaza paragliding flight David Gritten (19/7/23 to 23/7/23) discussed here

One item related to BDS in the UK:

Backlash over bill banning boycotts of Israel goods from public bodies Ione Wells & Paul Seddon (4/7/23 to 6/7/23)

Two reports concerned events on the border between Israel and Lebanon:

Israeli artillery strikes Lebanon after anti-tank missile launch David Gritten (6/7/23 to 11/7/23)  discussed here

Israel-Lebanon border tension raises fears of bloody escalation Tom Bateman (28/7/23 to present) discussed here

One report carried over from the previous month concerned a planned attack against Israelis abroad:

Israel’s Mossad says it abducted hitman from inside Iran Yolande Knell (30/6/23 to 4/7/23) discussed here

One report was about an Israeli kidnapped abroad:

Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov held captive in Iraq since March (6/7/23 to 10/7/23)

One item concerned the environment:

Mystery sea urchin deaths threaten Red Sea coral reefs Yolande Knell (2/7/23 to 5/7/23 and 7/7/23 to 28/7/23)

One item had an historic theme:

Egyptian doctor who saved Jews from Nazis honoured Muthoni Muchiri (25/7/23 to 28/7/23)

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

‘As Palestinian youths, the political process has failed us’ Yousef Eldin (13/6/23 to 19/6/23 and 20/6/23 to 5/7/23) discussed here and here

Lebanon clashes: Thousands flee violence at Palestinian refugee camp (30/7/23 to present) discussed here

Of twelve reports concerning Israeli affairs, seven (two of which were carried over from previous months) concerned the government’s proposed changes to the judicial system:

Israel protests: Drone footage shows thousands in Tel Aviv (28/5/23 to 1/6/23 and 10/6/23 to 4/7/23)

Netanyahu drops key part of Israel judicial overhaul plans Yolande Knell (29/6/23 to 3/7/23)

Israel: Police and anti-judicial reform protesters clash as bill advances Rafi Berg (11/7/23 to 18/7/23)

Israel judicial reform: Netanyahu leaves hospital ahead of key vote Tom Bateman & Malu Cursino (23/7/23 to 24/7/23)

Israel judicial reform: Crowds confront police as key law passed Paul Adams, Raffi Berg & Laurence Peter (24/7/23 to 27/7/23)

Israeli protesters vow no let-up in anti-reform fight Paul Adams (25/7/23 to present)

Israel reforms: Water cannon and arrests at Jerusalem protests (24/7/23 updates & 26/7/23 to present)

Two items concerned Israeli politics:

The man who helped Orban and Netanyahu rise to power Nick Thorpe (2/7/23 to 4/7/23)

Biden criticises ‘most extreme’ ministers in Israeli government David Gritten (10/7/23 to 13/7/23)

One report carried over from the previous month concerned a property transaction:

Controversial land sale puts Jerusalem Armenians on edge Yolande Knell (20/6/23 to 26/6/23 and 28/6/23 to 10/7/23) discussed here

Two items – one of which was carried over from June – concerned legal issues:

Hollywood producer testifies at Netanyahu corruption trial Yolande Knell (27/6/23 to 1/7/23)

Iyad Halaq: Israeli court acquits officer who killed autistic Palestinian man David Gritten (6/7/23 to 10/7/23)

In addition – not included in our count – four items appeared in the ‘updates’ section underneath the ‘Middle East’ page but not on the page itself:

The scene at the hospital near Jenin’s refugee camp Jeremy Bowen (4/7/23) discussed here

Israel judicial reform explained: What is the crisis about? Raffi Berg (21/7/23)

Among the stories from PA and Hamas controlled areas that were ignored by the BBC during July were the PA’s arrests of journalists, activists and a Hamas official, attempts to form a ‘unity government’ and related talks in Cairo, arrests of PIJ members by PA security forces and related demonstrations, violence at a mosque in the Gaza Strip, the death of a Khan Younis resident during the demolition of a wall and anti-Hamas demonstrations in the Gaza Strip.

Related Articles:

SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – JUNE 2023

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