At a gathering of some of the cyclists from the Big Ride, Dr Mona Al Farra was asked about what she thought about the media coverage of the current situation in Palestine. She said it was a disgrace and that we should complain. So I have complained about this BBC article. 

“Israeli-Palestinian violence: Gaza rocket lands in Israel

The Israeli military says Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fired a rocket into southern Israel, amid a sharp increase in tensions.

A statement said sirens were triggered in Israeli communities near the border but the rocket landed in open countryside and no-one was hurt.

Earlier, six Palestinians were shot dead near the border fence with Gaza.”

The headline states that Israel is under attack. Headlines are important, they give the central idea of the article.

The next sentence reinforces the idea that Israel is under attack by Palestinian militants.

The third sentence informs us that sirens were sounded, this tells us that Israeli citizens were alerted to danger. The sentence ends with the information that no one was hurt.

The fourth sentence tells us that six Palestinians were killed.

This is a classic in the art of propaganda. There is nothing false, as far as I am aware, but the overall impression is a complete lie.

There is no mention of the background, the illegal annexation of East Jerusalem. There is no mention that Israel is attacking Palestinians and the existence of Palestine. The actual killing of six Palestinians is seen as less important than a rocket landing in a field injuring no one.

Why write to BBC bosses when they have shown a marked reluctance to listen? There are three reasons. Firstly for every person that complains, some of their friends, workmates, relatives and blog readers may think about it and be convinced. Secondly, as pro-Zionist ideas continue to weaken, sooner or later organisations like the BBC may live up to their obligation of fair reporting. Thirdly, Palestinians ask us to correct misrepresentations of what is going on.

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