A report credited to Harry Low which appeared on the BBC News website on October 7th under the headline “‘Removing yellow hostage ribbons is morally repugnant’” relates to an incident that had taken place the previous afternoon in the London suburb of Muswell Hill. Readers of that report are told that: [emphasis added]
“The actions of a woman who was filmed cutting down yellow ribbons tied to a fence were “morally repugnant”, members of the Jewish community have said.
The ribbons, which symbolise calls for a return of the hostages captured by Hamas on 7 October 2023, were put up in Muswell Hill, north London, ahead of the two-year anniversary of the attacks in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages taken. […]
When challenged as she cut ribbons from the fence, the woman in the video said she was committing no crime, and when she was described as “disgusting”, she replied: “I think condoning genocide is disgusting.””
The following day, the BBC News website published an uncredited report about the same story headlined “Police quiz woman over Israeli hostages ribbons” which likewise told readers that:
“The ribbons, which symbolise calls for a return of the hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023, were put up in Muswell Hill, north London, ahead of the two-year anniversary of the attacks in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages taken. […]
When challenged as she cut the yellow ribbons from the fence on Fortis Green Road, the woman in the video said she was committing no crime, and when she was described as “disgusting”, she replied: “I think condoning genocide is disgusting.””
Although the journalists at BBC London who wrote those reports were clearly aware of the real symbolism of the yellow ribbons, both articles nevertheless provided uncritical amplification to that baseless ‘genocide’ smear.
Days later, on October 14th, BBC London chose to provide a platform to the promoter of that smear in the form of an article by Saadeya Shamsuddin and Luxmy Gopal (which was also promoted on social media) headlined “‘Why I cut down hostage ribbons’”.
“A woman who cut down yellow ribbons at a north London park dedicated to Israeli hostages has defended her actions that have been described by members of the local Jewish community as “morally repugnant“.
Nadia Yahlom was filmed removing the ribbons attached to railings at Princes Avenue Park in Muswell Hill, in Haringey, on 6 October – the eve of the two-year anniversary of the Israel-Gaza war.
She spoke to the BBC exclusively, before the release of the last 20 surviving hostages and the return of almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday. She asked why are the “only lives worth commemorating Jewish lives?”.”
Shamsuddin and Gopal did not bother to inform their readers that a significant number of those taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th were not Jewish or that at the time of writing, the bodies of two foreign nationals from Thailand and Tanzania are among those still held by Hamas.
That sympathetic interview with Nadia Yahlom promotes even more references to a non-existent ‘genocide’.
“”I am a Palestinian-Jewish woman living in that community who has every right to take a stance against genocide”, which she said was “being conducted in my name”. […]
When asked why she took the ribbons down, Ms Yahlom told BBC London that after two years of “genocide” in Gaza, “we are still being told that the only lives worth commemorating, the only lives that have any value, are Jewish lives”.”
The report goes on to promote the politically motivated and methodologically unsound Pillay Commission report that came out in September.
“A recent United Nations commission of inquiry report found that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, although Israel’s foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the report, denouncing it as “distorted and false”. Israel’s bombing campaign and ground invasion have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.”
Additional promotion of the ‘genocide’ libel is found in the rest of the article.
“When asked if she was concerned about accusations of antisemitism, Ms Yahlom said: “I think it’s antisemitic to imply that a Jewish person who is standing in principled opposition to a genocide is driven by hatred.
“I never intended to put myself and my family in this line of fire. But now that I have a platform, I have an opportunity as a Palestinian Jew to say: ‘Not in my name.’
“On the way to this interview, I passed by a number of Palestinian flags and stickers calling for Palestinian liberation, speaking out against Israeli apartheid, calling for an end to the genocide, all of which had been ripped down. […]
“It is astonishing to me, to see what it means to speak out about genocide.”
At the bottom of that report, readers also find a recording of an interview, conducted by one of the writers, that Yahlom gave – “exclusively” according to the presenter – to BBC Radio London. During that interview, listeners hear seven references to ‘genocide’ (including one from the presenter) and one reference to ‘apartheid’.
As reported by the Jewish News, the BBC was criticised for its platforming of Yahlom.
“The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in the UK has condemned a decision by the BBC to publish a sympathetic interview with a self-described “Palestinian Jew” who was filmed cutting down yellow ribbons for Israeli hostages in Gaza, describing it as “deeply disappointing”. […]
“It is deeply disappointing that the BBC has chosen to give a sympathetic platform to someone who has repeatedly torn down these symbols of hope — especially at a time when antisemitism in the UK has reached alarming levels. […]
“By amplifying inaccurate and inflammatory accusations, the BBC risks fuelling division instead of fostering understanding. We urge responsible journalism that reflects the true meaning of the yellow ribbon: compassion, remembrance, and an enduring hope that every hostage will come home.””
The Jewish News’ report also includes a response from the BBC:
“A BBC spokesperson said:
“We do not take lightly the impact our reporting may have. We covered the Jewish community’s anger at the cutting down of the ribbons and the subsequent police investigation. This report is part of our ongoing coverage of the incident to try to understand the motivation for such an act.””
After two years of politically motivated agitprop on British streets, the “motivation” should be perfectly obvious even to the BBC: the perpetrator’s chosen anti-Israel stance. That, however, is no excuse for the repeated yet context-free promotion of baseless libels concerning ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid’, which play no small part in encouraging precisely “such an act”.
Interestingly, Yahlom’s husband Mo’min Swaitat (who has claimed that he and his wife have since been “attacked by an extremist group probably working for Mossad”) stated on social media that “Nadia decided to release her first statement on BBC TV, Radio and article”.
Swaitat has collaborated with the BBC on various projects in the past. The BBC’s funding public would no doubt be interested to know exactly who approached who in order to facilitate the “release” of that “first statement” in those “exclusive” BBC interviews.
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