Please take a minute to thank the Sunday Times and Daniel Day-Lewis for an excellent article in the March 20 edition entitled "Inside scarred minds", in which the renowned actor, on his first visit to the Gaza Strip, meets Palestinian families living in conflict and the psychologists who are counselling them.

Our thanks and support are all the more important because the Zionist Federation has today urged its members to complain about the article, which it described as "very unpleasant". We must not allow the newspaper or celebrity to be silenced, as this will discourage other high-profile figures from speaking out.

Please complain to the Daily Mail and reporters Nick Craven and Michael Seamark over an offensive article in the newspaper's February 25 edition entitled Revealed: The 'abuse' five.

Please take a minute to thank the Financial Times for a great editorial on January 7 on the January 9 Palestinian presidential elections, entitled "Polling Palestine".

The FT deserves recognition and praise for its consistently rational, objective editorial policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As Palestinians in Gaza continue to experience appalling death, injury and destruction at the hands of Israeli occupation forces, and as news of their plight thins out in the British media, please take a minute to thank the FT's Harvey Morris for an excellent article on October 11 entitled "Civilian toll in Gaza grows after Israeli invasion".

Please respond to an appalling leader which refers to an article in the newspaper about a Palestinian woman and honour killings (which does not appear online).

While honour killings are utterly condemnable, the Sunday Telegraph uses this to totally belittle the brutality and effects of Israel's military occupation, the longest in modern history. It concludes:

"Much of the world sees Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation of the West Bank as a desperate act by an oppressed people. Yet the reality is that of a people oppressed not so much by Israel as by each other."

Robert Kilroy-Silk, a TV presenter for the BBC and regular columnist for the Sunday Express, has vented ant-Arab and anti-Muslim racism in the newspaper that surpasses even his usual standards of extreme bigotry and ignorance.  We must not allow him to get away with it unchallenged.

The commentaries in question, published on January 4, are entitled "We owe Arabs nothing" and "Proving not all men are equal".

There was an excellent interview with the mother of Tom Hurndall, the British peace activist shot in the head by an Israeli soldier in April, on the Today programme this morning (October 27).

She talks about the fabrications and leniency of Israeli military investigations into deaths, as well as her own problems trying to get an enquiry into the shooting of her son.

On the Saturday morning Today programme, they read out correspondence they have received from the week's programmes. If we can get enough people to say thanks, it is more likely that they will read one or more sympathetic letters. If we do not and members of the pro-Israel lobby write in, they will read out one of their letters.

There is an absolutely awful opinion piece in the September 15 edition of the Daily Telegraph by Barbara Amiel (wife of the owner, Conrad Black), entitled "Arafat's assassination will not resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict." 

Literally every paragraph is deeply offensive - she denies the existence of the 1948 Nakba, denounces the rights of Palestinian refugees, and even proposes that Israel may have to use nuclear weapons against the Arab world! We should not let her or the newspaper get away with such extreme views.

Please take a minute to thank the FT for an excellent commentary in its July 22 edition entitled "The holes in Israel's road map" by Hasan Abunimah and Ali Abunimah. 

Hasan is former ambassador and permanent representative of Jordan at the UN.  Ali is co-founder of Electronic Intifada, one of Arab Media Watch's US-based sister organisations.

Last week, the FT published 2 commentaries in as many days (1 from employee Martin Wolf, the other from Israeli professor Shlomo Avineri) calling for the Palestinian right of return to be dropped. 

Now, on June 24, it has published a commentary from an Israeli praising the wall that is being built in the illegally occupied West Bank and devastating the Palestinian population and economy.

The June 4 edition of the Times contains a terrible leader entitled "A start along the peace road." It calls Israel's actions "retaliatory", criticises the Palestinian leadership for not doing enough to stop "terror", and says Arab governments "must renew their security guarantees to Israel". 

But its biggest offense concerns Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes. It puts the term in quote marks as if to cast doubt on its legitimacy, it says the Palestinians simply "left" in 1948, and it describes their right to return as "unrealistic" because it means "the demographic dismantling of the Jewish state."

Here's one more reason to attend Thursday's vigil outside the BBC, endorsed by Arab Media Watch:

There was a disgraceful Newsnight programme aired on November 30 featuring the "Diary of a Suicide Bomber". Under the pretence that he would talk about the Palestinian elections, H.E. Afif Safieh, the Palestinian General Delegate to the UK and Holy See, was asked to take part. Instead, Newsnight chose to include a piece of footage about a suicide bomber. What followed was a blatant use of language that may as well have come from the PR department of the Israeli government.

The response from our members and the public has already been strong. Make sure it is stronger so the BBC unequivocally gets the message.

Arab Media Watch urges its members and the public to attend 2 events this week featuring panels including the head of BBC News and editors from the Independent, the Times, the Scotsman and the Sun.

This is a prime opportunity to ascertain the views of prominent media figures, ask them questions, and inform AMW.

Please take a moment to thank BBC Radio 4 for the 4th of 5 Reith lectures by Nobel Prize-winning poet and playwright, noted Nigerian academic and outspoken human rights activist Wole Soyinka.

On December 7 at 9pm, BBC 2 broadcast "Terror Tourists", quite possibly the most one-sided, inaccurate, offensive documentary around about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Make it known that such breaches of journalistic standards are simply unacceptable - we pay BBC license fees and are thus entitled to higher standards.

The Independent on Sunday has been seminal in its role in opposing the invasion of Iraq. In the September 21 edition, readers editor Simon O'Hagan requested feedback from readers about the newspaper's stance on the issue.

Arab Media Watch contacted O'Hagan today (September 24). He said the response has been huge and it is not too late to voice your opinions, so please take a minute to show your support for a newspaper that has intelligently, consistently and thoroughly opposed Bush/Blair policy in Iraq.

The letters are reproduced in full, followed by Arab Media Watch's points for rebuttal:

C Leadbeater does not appear to understand the word "fact".   The Palestinian Charter still calls for the destruction of Israel.  Hamas and other Palestinians organisations certainly do not recognise Israel''s right to exist.  Most of the Palestinian schoolbooks do not show Israel.  Israel really wants peace but this can only come about when both sides show they are serious about it.
M Ordman, middlesex

All you need is an internet connection to discover how that the PLO charter calls for the destruction of Israel.  Article 9 reads: "Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine."  And articles 19 to 20 refute the right of Israel to exist: "The partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the state of Israel are entirely illegal?. The Balfour declaration? null and void."
LB, London N12

Please take a minute to thank the Guardian for an excellent commentary and article in its June 12 edition. 

The commentary is about the dire humanitarian situation in the occupied territories and the need to boycott Israeli products, written by a British MP who is Jewish. 

The article is about Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon having Jewish blood on his hands for the attempted assassination of Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi.

An awful, deeply offensive and callous commentary by David Rudnick, entitled "The Great Wall of Palestine is peace's best defence."

Please take a minute to thank the FT for an excellent commentary in its July 22 edition entitled "The holes in Israel's road map" by Hasan Abunimah and Ali Abunimah. 

Hasan is former ambassador and permanent representative of Jordan at the UN.  Ali is co-founder of Electronic Intifada, one of Arab Media Watch's US-based sister organisations.

Please email Daily Star regular columnist Dominik Diamond for stating on 26 September 2007: "There must be some NHS staff who aren't Arab terrorists, surely?" While Diamond uses comedy in his columns, this not only causes offence, but is also unnecessary as the article has nothing to do with Arabs.

Please take a minute to thank Times correspondent Stefanie Marsh for an excellent article on 9 January 2008 entitled "Hopeless in Gaza." This is particularly praiseworthy for a newspaper that is known for its pro-Israel sympathies, and it is likely to result in a strong and negative response by the pro-Israel lobby, so let us make sure that Marsh does not regret speaking out, and that the Times does not regret publishing the article.

Please take a minute to vote for the anti-Iraq war protestors, who are one of the nominees for Channel 4's "political personality of the decade" award. The closing date is Friday 18 January 2008.

Please write to your MP to urge them to sign Early Day Motion 1926 on Mohammed Omer, the Palestinian journalist who was assaulted by Israeli forces while trying to re-enter the occupied Palestinian territories.

Please take a minute to thank Daily Mail regular columnist Andrew Alexander for an excellent piece today (22 June 2007) entitled "Delving inside the mind of a suicide bomber."

Arab Media Watch has not chosen this item because of the topic of suicide bombings, but because Alexander provides legitimate criticism of Israeli, US and British policy vis-a-vis Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Arab world in general. He also highlights the plight of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees (the former in particular receiving hardly any media attention).

Incidentally, Alexander is a speaker at AMW's fundraising dinner on 8 September - all the more reason to write in!

Please take a moment to thank the Daily Telegraph for an excellent commentary on 6 June 2007 by Emma Williams entitled "40 years on, Israel remains a prisoner," about the legacy of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

It is a welcome surprise to see something like this in a newspaper that is usually and traditionally pro-Israel, and comes a month after another excellent article in the Telegraph about the discrimination faced by Israel's Arab citizens, about which we also issued an Action Alert.

As such, it is very important that the newspaper knows that such content is necessary, appreciated and should continue, so please write in.

29 March 2007

It has been more than two weeks since the abduction of BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston, and more than a week since Arab Media Watch's press release demanding his immediate and unconditional release.

As Johnston is still missing with no news of his condition or whereabouts, AMW urges its members and the public to write messages of support through a dedicated section on the BBC website, as well as to his direct email address.

10 July 2006

There is an absolutely atrocious commentary in today's Sun by Trevor Kavanagh entitled "Just because Israel is paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get it". It is rife with myths and inaccuracies, and is accompanied by a cartoon of a startled Israeli soldier next to the sea, surrounded by armed angry hordes of Arabs/Muslims.

15 July 2006

The Sun, which is taking a staunchly pro-Israel stance in its invasion of Lebanon, has made the following important request, which Arab Media Watch urges its members and others to make use of:

"Are you a Brit stranded in Lebanon as Israel steps up its blitz of Beirut? Or perhaps you are worried about a relative who is stuck there. We want to hear from you. 0044 207 782 4104 or talkback@the-sun.co.uk."

17 July 2006

Please take a minute to thank Daily Mail columnist Peter McKay for an excellent commentary in today's edition entitled "Slaughter won't end this war".

26 July 2006

Please take a minute to thank the Independent and Oren Ben-Dor for an excellent commentary today entitled "Who are the real terrorists in the Middle East?" The courageous views expressed are all the more admirable because Ben-Dor is an Israeli who teaches the philosophy of law and political philosophy at the University of Southampton. We must counter any potential backlash from the pro-Israel lobby, and make sure