'Today' is the flagship programme of the BBC with the highest audience figures on Radio 4. It consistently does not address Palestinian concerns, and sometimes is less critical of Israel than the current US administration in an election year. It reports issues that are of concern to Israel, or reports issues that are of importance to Palestinians totally from an Israeli perspective. It avoids the word 'occupation' but uses 'security barrier', a term favoured by Israel and disputed by Palestinians.
On the other hand, this coming week the BBC is showing must-see documentaries on Iraq, Israel/Palestine and Al Jazeera.
Details of the documentaries are:
BBC 4: Langan In Iraq - Mission Accomplished
Monday August 16, 9pm - 10.30pm
BBC 4: Langan In Iraq - Mission Accomplished
Tuesday August 17, 1.45am - 3.15am
BBC 4: Dead in the Water
Saturday August 21, 7pm - 8.15pm
BBC 4: Dead in the Water
Sunday August 22, 1.45am - 3am
BBC 2: Control Room
Saturday August 21, 10pm - 11.30pm
The problems with the 'Today' programme are as follows:
(1) While it is not expected that all items should be covered on 'Today', major stories have been missed throughout this period to the disadvantage of the Palestinians (see list below).
(2) Several months ago, the BBC was criticised by Israel following a documentary about its nuclear capability. Since relations were restored, 'Today' has been missing out most news concerning the conflict, against Palestinians and Israelis, as if this was a deal done with the Israelis in order to restore the relationship. However, BRITISH people are licence payers and deserve accuracy in coverage of the conflict as a democratic right. As most oppression is against Palestinians, this seriously distorts representations of Palestinians, and denies the audience the opportunity to understand issues relating to occupation and resistance to it.
(3) 'Today' reporters never use the term 'occupation', although it is enshrined in international law and used by the British government. Without using this term, the audience cannot understand Palestinian concerns.
(4) There seems to be a policy of putting many important issues in the early or late part of the 'Today' programme with no spokespeople from either side. This may be to avoid harrassment of the BBC, but it reduces opportunities for raising public awareness.
(5) The BBC said it would use a negative word for the 'wall' or 'security fence'. It said it would use the term 'barrier', but instead uses 'security barrier' which favours the Israeli perspective.
(6) 'Today' manages to find time to put on items that suit the Israeli agenda, for example suicide bombings, anti-Semitism, settlements using arguments from an Israeli perspective, and (most amazingly) reporting why Sharon did NOT give a speech to the Knesset.
(7) When 'Today' addresses issues which are of concern to Palestinians, it addresses them from an Israeli perspective. For example, the issue of building settlements, it does not make it clear that they are illegal and built on land from which Palestinians are dispossessed. Instead it uses the discussion of settlements purely from an Israeli perspective, some Israelis say this and some say that, rather than keeping to the line of international law and the official line of the British government. The illegality of settlements was reinforced by the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.
(8) 'Today' avoided the issue of the ICJ ruling in a rather underhand manner, as if trying to avoid criticism by Israeli supporters. The item was placed on 'Today' BEFORE the ruling had occured, meaning the only discussion was speculation. This was put on an early morning clip, as if trying to create an 'alibi' to 'prove' that this Palestinian concern was properly discussed, when in fact it was not.
(9) This is a brief summary of stories missed:
In Gaza and the West Bank since July 1, there have been 78 Palestinians killed by the Israeli Defence Forces: 50 militants, 7 civilians, 4 women (one pregnant) and 17 children, the youngest aged 4 years. There were 2 Israelis killed by Palestinians in the occupied territories and one suicide bomb in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli soldier, timed just after the ICJ ruling and it was claimed by senior Palestinians that Israel could in some way be complicit because of the timing.
Gaza has been in turmoil, as have many parts of West the Bank. There have been kidnappings (all resolved), other civil disobedience, the resignation of Palestinian ministers, and the lynching of collaborators. There were also large peaceful demonstrations, some fired on by the IDF.
There was a huge 5-week Israeli incursion into Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza with massive destruction of farmland and other property, 20 killed and 150 injured. Houses were demolished in Bethlehem, Nablus, Khan Younis and Rafah.
The ICJ ruling was briefly mentioned at 6.10am in the morning before the hearing, but not since, nor was the UN General Assembly resolution.
Also not mentioned were the thousands of Palestinians trapped at the border with Egypt.
The stories on 'Today' follow a pattern of putting items on the conflict early in the morning.
STORIES ON 'TODAY' FROM JULY 1 TO AUGUST 8:
July 8 at 8.43am - a 9-minute item on suicide bombers following the visit of a Muslim cleric. Jenny Tonge MP tries to get the point across about Palestinian occupation but is told this is not being discussed. Michael Whine of the Board of Deputies of British Jews criticises the decision to allow the cleric into the UK.
July 9 at 6.10am - a 3-minute clip on the anticipated court ruling, no spokesmen.
7.20am - a 2.5-minute clip on the barrier, using the Israeli term 'security barrier' though the BBC claims it uses neutral terms. An Israeli and a Palestinian spokesman.
July 17 - a 4.5-minute clip on the story of New Zealand protesting because Mossad agents were trying to obtain NZ passports. The NZ spokesman was asked to comment on the claim that this action was anti-semitic, a claim she denied.
July 28 - a 4-minute item on anti-Semitism in France and 200 Jews emigrating to Israel.
August 3 at 6.10 am - a 2-minute clip on Israel's plans to build 600 homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank (later even more plans were announced, taking the number maybe as high as 1,000. 'Today' did not take the angle of 'this is wrong', but from 'some say this, some say that'. Sharon had signed the Road Map saying he would freeze settlement activity. This was mentioned, but not mentioned was the illegality of the settlements, confirmed again in the ICJ ruling. The British and American administrations were more critical than the BBC, and their annoyance with the decision was not mentioned.
August 4 at 7.38am - a 3-minute clip giving reasons why Sharon is not going to make a speech in the Knesset about the withdrawal from Gaza. This in a week when chaos reigns in Gaza, yet 'Today' keeps strictly to an Israeli agenda.
For further details please check BBC monitoring on the Arab Media Watch website.
If you wish to listen again to the programmes, go to
www.bbc.co.uk/today and search the archives.