The one that nearly got away

Last week on Saturday Live R4. there was an interview with a victim of a traumatic event, typical of the ‘uman interest topics that characterises this programme. This one was unusual because the interviewee was survivor of the terrorist attack at the Munich olympics, Shaul Ladany, an Israeli athlete. Even more unheard of, the whole interview passed off entirely without a reminder of how evil the Israelis are – neither tagged on at the end, nor inserted in between. It was notably and remarkably absent.


It was premature to assume that was to be the end of the matter. They wouldn’t let it lie. Because this week, a listener, *a British Jew*, emailed in; (15.52) and from the hundreds of texts and emails that they reputedly receive during the programme, this particular one was singled out for transmission. It said that Israelis are always portrayed on the BBC as “eternal innocent victims,” and the Arabs as “irredeemable irrational terrorists”, and wouldn’t it be nice if for a change they had a Palestinian on the programme to explain how hard life was for them.

Would you Adam an’ Eve it? Israelis always portrayed as victims? On the BBC? Did she make a mistake and really mean Jews and the holocaust?

Does proclaiming oneself to be a Jew bestow special dispensation, privilege, authority, meaningfulness, that lets one say something so ridiculous and so inaccurate? And do the programme makers think her idiotic comment was either worthy or necessary to provide an antidote to one little item that was neither critical of Israel nor condemnatory of Israelis that had slipped through the net for once in a million years?

Biased BBC- a mini round up

Man in a Shed notices the BBC’s spin on the Government knife stats story.

Nadine Dorries objects to Kirsty Wark and the unequal match up for Mr Choudhary

Iain Dale questions another Opposition-lite day of Sunday politics coverage for the Left.

Maurizio meanwhile, is looking hard for reasons to believe” that the BBC’s Climate scenarios ‘being realised‘” article has not been written with the intent of misleading the average reader”.

General BBC-related comment thread!

Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely.

BBC MAN Of THE YEAR LASHES OUT!

Binyam Mohamed

Binyan Mohamed – that well know “British resident” – must be so thankful for the BBC. Today Al Beeb leads the news cycle with Mr Mohamed’s scurrilous allegations that he would not have faced torture or extraordinary rendition but for British involvement in his case.Modestly, Binyam would also like to see former PM Blair and former US President George Bush put on trial for their crimes. You can understand why he so engages BBC sympathy, can’t you? Anyone surprised that our favourite Ethiopian illegal immigrant chose the BBC to give his first major interview? I wonder how much he was paid for it? Isn’t it disgraceful to see Jihadists getting all this oxygen of publicity care of our license taxes?

TRAVELLING MAN

My but hasn’t Ed Stourton been a busy chap. One moment he is the “new Belfast” interviewing those too young to remember IRA terrorism about ..erm…their memories of IRA terrorism. Then he travels to Londonderry – to the Bogside no less – to check out if republicans still support IRA/Sinn Fein. (Seems they do but other seem very unhappy about condemning the murder of British soldiers, nothing changes). The BBC is in full spin cycle here – it is retailing the government line that we live in a brave new world and we must close our eyes and just get on with the almighty “peace process.” Time to forget all about those THOUSANDS of victims of IRA savagery, the BBC mimics the government line that if you want peace you forfeit justice. It would be great if the BBC allowed time for those who oppose all of this nauseating appeasement but I am afraid that just will not happen. The State broadcaster is a participant in the political process.

GORDON RELIEF.

Nice to see the BBC showing us how how the Dear Leader is already joining in the hilarious fun of Red Nose Day. As they point out, Gordon decided not to put on a red nose. He doesn’t need to – we all know he is a clown.

QUESTION TIME LIVE

So, here are tonight’s boneless wonders for us to dissect! We have Postman Pat, Charles Moore, Susan Kramer, Baroness Warsi, “comedian” David Mitchell and Mr Dimblebore. Hope you will be able to join in the liveblog. I’ve been away all day so just back here at B-BBC and looking forward to our usual cracking debate, regardless of what the panelists come out with!

MISSING SADDAM

I was reading this report on the welcome conviction of Tariq Aziz, for many years the public face of Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime, who has been jailed for 15 years for his role in the execution of 42 merchants. If you read through the report, however, you get to the pay off lines…”Saddam Hussein himself was hanged in December 2006 in a separate case. Human Rights Watch issued a report into the trial of Saddam Hussein, concluding that the process was flawed and its verdict unsound because of “serious administrative, procedural and substantive legal defects”. There you go, poor Saddam. His only crime was, erm, genocide but hey. the shills in the BBC use a biased Human Rights Watch report to convey the impression that Saddam was a victim.