Palestinian youths today play on the rubble of an Israeli-bombed residential building in Rafah on the Gaza Strip border with Egypt







Crisis at BBC as it refuses to broadcast Gaza appeal

By James Tapper
25th January 2009

The BBC was condemned by politicians and religious leaders last night after it became the only major British broadcaster to refuse to transmit a charity appeal for victims of the Gaza crisis.

ITV, Channel 4 and Five all agreed to air a two-minute appeal from 13 leading British charities trying to bring aid to 500,000 Palestinians left without access to running water following the conflict between Israel and Hamas-led militants.

Sky is likely to make a decision today.

Veteran politician Tony Benn delivers a letter in favour of the screening of the Gaza appeal. He said the protest was about saving lives in Gaza rather than about the BBC

However, the BBC has refused to transmit the appeal from the charities’ umbrella group, the Disasters Emergency Committee, because executives believe it might dent its reputation for impartiality. It also believes Gaza may not be stable enough to allow aid to be delivered.

But the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said: ‘This is not a row about impartiality but rather about humanity.

‘This situation is akin to that of British military hospitals who treat prisoners of war as a result of their duty under the Geneva Convention. They do so because they identify need rather than cause. This is not an appeal by Hamas asking for arms but by the Disasters Emergency Committee asking for relief. By declining their request, the BBC has already taken sides and forsaken impartiality.’

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said people would be ‘shocked, surprised and saddened’ by the decision, and Liberal Democrat Culture spokesman Don Foster branded it ‘disgraceful’.

A boy is helped away by police during the rally called by the Stop the War coalition outside the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears added: ‘I sincerely hope the BBC will urgently review its decision.’

Dame Suzi Leather, chairwoman of the Charity Commission, said: ‘It is
critical that the broadcasters...do all they can to publicise and support this humanitarian appeal. I call on the BBC to reconsider their decision.’

Veteran Labour MP Tony Benn, who spoke to 200 protesters outside Broadcasting House in Central London, said newsreaders should take it on themselves to read out the DEC phone number, 0370 60 60 900, for donations.

The DEC, which represents charities including the British Red Cross and Oxfam, believes there is an urgent need for aid after three weeks of conflict in Gaza.

Bloodied baby dolls are left on the steps outside the BBC building during a demonstration against the Israeli Siege on Gaza and the BBC's refusal to broadcast a Gaza Emergency Appeal

It says 75 per cent of residents have no electricity and the water and sewage system has almost collapsed.

BBC director-general Mark Thompson took the unusual step of defending the corporation’s position in an internet blog yesterday.

He wrote: ‘Inevitably an appeal would use pictures that are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programmes, but would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations.

‘The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance. When we have turned down DEC appeals in the past it has been because of this risk of giving the public the impression that the BBC was taking sides in an ongoing conflict.

‘This is an important part of what it is to be a public-service broadcaster. It is sometimes not a comfortable place to be, but we have a duty to ensure that nothing risks undermining our impartiality.’

Speaking on Radio 4, the BBC’s chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson, also defended the position.

She said: ‘The most important thing the BBC can do for the people of Gaza is carry on reporting impartially and fearlessly.

‘If we lose the trust of the audience, by appearing...to support one side rather than another, we will have lost it for the charities themselves, as well as everyone else.’








Article: HERE