8 BBC Journalists write letter to Al-Jazeera, accuse BBC of unfair reportage on Israel-Palestine
London: Eight BBC journalists based in the United Kingdom wrote a 2,300-word letter to Al Jazeera, accusing their employer of a "double standard" in its reporting on Israel and Palestine. The letter claimed that the BBC has failed to accurately convey the situation, particularly regarding human rights abuses in Gaza, through omission and a lack of critical engagement with Israel's claims.
While the BBC is accused of naming Israeli victims and interviewing affected families, the letter emphasized a lack of humanizing coverage for Palestinian civilians. The journalists argued that Palestinians are often asked to condemn Hamas, while guests defending Israel are not equally asked to condemn the actions of the Israeli government.
The letter questioned when the number of Palestinian casualties would be considered high enough for the BBC's editorial stance to change, urging the organization to better reflect and defer to the evidence-based findings of unbiased humanitarian organizations.
According to Al Jazeera, the journalists highlighted that the BBC's coverage began to humanize Palestinian civilians more in recent weeks as civilian deaths increased, suggesting that this shift came too late and indicated undue influence from the positions of the UK and US governments.
In response to the letter, a BBC spokesperson denied the allegations, stating that when interviewing the Israeli government, Hamas, Palestinian representatives, or other leaders, the BBC aims to be robust, challenging, and hold power to account.
The letter did not disclose the identities of the eight BBC journalists who penned it.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ramdas Athawale backs Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM; says Shinde can shift to Centre
New Delhi, Nov 26: RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, a key BJP ally, on Tuesday called for a quick decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra and suggested that incumbent Eknath Shinde should shift to the Centre as a Union minister.
Addressing a press conference here, Athawale also backed senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, contending that the saffron party won the maximum number of seats in the 288-member Assembly and should have the right to the top executive post in the state.
He said a peculiar situation has arisen in Maharashtra where BJP leaders want Fadnavis as the chief minister, while Shiv Sena leaders want Shinde to continue in the post, citing the good work he has done over the last two and a half years.
Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has declared that he was not in the race for the chief minister.
"We need to resolve this matter, without any further delay. The election results were announced on November 23 and we should have had the oath of the new chief minister on November 26, the Constitution Day," Athawale said.
Backing Fadnavis for the post of chief minister, Athawale said Shinde can become the deputy chief minister or shift to the Centre and join the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Athawale said his RPI(A) has a presence in every part of the state, but unfortunately lost the two seats -- Dharavi and Kalina -- offered to it in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
He demanded that an RPI member be made an MLC and a minister in the state government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections winning 235 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP won 132 seats, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena (57) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP (41). Smaller parties, who are part of the alliance, won five seats.
