Since October 7 BBC News has been working hard to portray the false image of Israel as a brutal oppressor intent on deliberately targeting and murdering innocent Palestinians.
A BBC News classic story
This BBC News article from November 21 is a classic of the type. It tells a story of a family in Gaza being nearly wiped out – and even better for the BBC, the UK based Palestinian woman who lost her parents and siblings in the attack, can make the human-interest story really hit home for British readers:
This tragic tale has the key ingredient that those at BBC News love so much – it provides them endless opportunity to demonise Israel and allows them to do so while providing absolutely no context to the reader.
The BBC never miss an opportunity to use those they are interviewing as ‘demonisation’ devices. They can say whatever they like – the journalist puts the accusation in quotes- and the deed is done. For example, we are told the family died in north Gaza, and had not evacuated south as instructed:
“Her mother Noura Abu Hassira, 65, and father Ghanem Taufeek, 75, had decided not to evacuate south from their apartment, about a quarter of a mile from the Al-Shifa Hospital, because they felt there was no safe passage, she said.”
This may be true. It may not be true. Maybe the family stayed in the north for a reason they don’t want to share with anyone? But the reader is told they stayed north because those evil Israelis weren’t providing safe passage. And then came this bit:
“”She (the daughter) said she believed the apartment had been targeted deliberately because of her brother Mohammed’s aid and journalism work.“
The daughter, Fatma Aljaja, (who left Gaza ten years ago and now lives in Staffordshire) suggests that Israel killed them all just because her brother Mohammed was a good guy working to help people and get the truth out. And the BBC News editor leaves it in without question – passing that unsupportable and demonic message on to the readers.
No context
There is no context provided anywhere in the story that can explain to the reader what is taking place. The article does reference Hamas, but almost as a third-party player. There is Israel that traps innocent Palestinians and kills journalists deliberately – there is Hamas who ‘the UK considers to be a terrorist organisation’ – and then all these poor Palestinians being killed by Israel in the middle. It is always as if Hamas are aliens from outer space who have nothing to do with the Palestinians at all.
October 7 is not mentioned anywhere on the page.
I stumbled on this story while doing research for an exclusive report on ‘journalists’ (hopefully being published tomorrow) and so I decided to see what information was available to the BBC if they had wanted to do even a tiny piece of due diligence before publishing this story. So I went looking for all the players.
Meet the victims
First there is Fatma Aljaja, the daughter based in the UK. This is what Fatma Aljaja posted on the morning of October 7, a message supporting the Hamas attack:
Fatma was still sharing celebratory messages at 4pm on October 7, by which time the scale of the horror had become clear to anyone tuning in.
She even shared this genocidal message about Israelis burning, and only having ‘a grave’:
On October 7 Mohammed Sheraz (Fatma’s husband) posted a message about Gaza ‘breaking free from prison’.
But then that is probably not surprising, seeing as he posts junk like this in support of the terrorist factions:
Some of the posts Mohammed Sheraz shares are neo-Nazi level antisemitic. Such as this share of an Instagram post which suggests that the 2000 years of expulsion, genocide, and persecution the Jews suffered ‘may be a consequence of their own behaviour’.
And then there is Mohammed Al Jaja – the ‘journalist’ brother who Fatma suggests was the target for the Israeli attack. Al Jaja is not so peaceful. In this example Al Jaja commends Arafat for his patriotic attitudes in launching the Second Intifada (1000+ Israelis died). Al Jaja goes on to make a clear call for a new violent uprising (intifada):
And finally, there is this piece of evidence. In this post both Fatma and her brother Mohammed Al Jaja mourn the death of their cousin Ahmed Zaki Abu Hasira. Their cousin died following an ‘accidental explosion’ in Gaza in 2021.
And with a little careful digging we find that the cousin Ahmed Hasira was a Hamas terrorist:
“The Brigades mourned its fighters Ahmed Abu Hasira and Osamah Janina and said they died after a blessed life full of struggle and sacrifices asking Allah Almighty to accept them as martyrs bestow His mercy upon them and make His Paradise their eternal dwelling.”
It seems as if in their rush to blame Israel for targeting innocent and harmless people, the BBC journalists (as usual) didn’t actually do any real research. Here is the brother of the terrorist posting a notice on FB about his death and Mohammed Al Jaja, Fatma’s brother, leaves his loving and respectful comment on his cousin’s message.
Scratch a BBC article that sets out to make Israel look bad, and a little Hamas is always hiding behind the mask.
BBC News and the missing context.
We cannot know what the real reason was for Israel targeting that building. We know that it wasn’t targeted because Fatma’s brother was just ‘a journalist’ (the only possible scenario mentioned in the article). This family may have nothing to do with Hamas – or maybe it does – we certainly know for a fact that Hamas is not far away.
There is nothing new for me in this (and probably for most readers of this website). We are fully aware of the antisemitism, hate and extremism that exists in large parts of the Muslim community. We also know there is often one face Islamists give to the west and a more extremist one that they share with their own. But does western media really need to be so easily duped?
I honestly have no interest in attacking Fatma Aljaja, her husband Mohammed Sheraz, or Fatma’s deceased brother in Gaza. Fatma Aljaja is mourning the loss of her family. What I am interested in is why BBC News consistently fails to do the most basic of checks. Both the husband and wife presented in this article glorified and celebrated the Hamas Oct 7 attacks. Did the journalist / editor not even bother to check before writing eagerly about Israel deliberately targeting innocent journalists?
Some may errantly argue that in light of a family in mourning, these details are not important – but they provide the context necessary to shed light on what is truly happening. The Islamist hate that celebrates atrocities such as those that occurred on Oct 7 and the vile anti-Jewish racism are both pillars of the entire conflict. They provide the bedrock for the Palestinian violence that frequently explodes with such deadly results. It also seems that everyone’s Palestinian cousin in Gaza is a Hamas terrorist – so maybe Hamas are not aliens after all. These vital ingredients are all missing from the BBC News story.
If the BBC do not want to tell the story in true multicolour – then it should not be telling the story at all.
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Excellent journalism, well done.
Well said as usual, David. Thanks.
The BBC seems to be a little more sloppy in its coverage of the ‘bad Jews, bad Israelis’ than many in the MSM, but the field is so crowded that its difficult to pick a ‘winner’.
Only way the the press can be held to a modicum of even-handedness is by them being constantly called out by investigative journalists like yourself.
Thanks David
As ever David’s professionalism demonstrates why we all need to support his investigative work financially
Thanks David
Johnny Cohen
David, your piece is typical Zionist smoke and mirrors. An attempt to divert from the real point of the BBC article, the complete wiping out by Israel of innocent families in Gaza.
However, I do agree that what the BBC doesn’t publish is often more important than what they do publish. It has led to complaints from some of their own journalists that the BBC is deliberately hiding the truth about Israeli atrocities for fear of the backlash from Zionists within and without its organisation.
are you for real?
Longtime Israel-basher AKA Sari Bashi, who continues racist-Arab Omar Shakir tradition at HRW was asked on CNN (12.27.23), as two kids were among adults arrested by IDF: ‘What does it say about Hamas using human shields?
The “objective” Sari Bashi ignored that important human crime but focused on bashing Israel and played as if she doesn’t know why Hamas suspected terroriss are stripped of clothes to check for weapons.
Hey Jack. Remember our Brucie? He used to say that it was his life’s work to completely dismantle the global apparatus of Zionism and eradicate the Jewish State. His main instrument was writing things on the internet. What’s yours?
Is this a ploy by — Arabized “Palestinian” Nazi Hitler-fan employer — NYT to get credibility for its weekly Pallywood garbage?
Whatever happened to the extremely biased paper that has full of garbage written by its racist-Arab writers: “Palestinian” Raja Abdulrahim and Iyad Ibuheweila and a nazi “palestinian” Hitler fan? Soliman Hijjy?
Suddenly it decided that in order to get some credibility its routine Pallywood… it wrote about the real pure innocent victims in the hands of barbarian jihadi-fascist regimeordinary “Palestinians.”
In harrowing detail, NYT reports on weaponization of rape, sexual violence on Oct. 7
Publication uncovers new information, devastating testimony, on systemic targeting of women and girls, use of sexual assault and mutilation during savage Hamas onslaught in Israel.
one aspect you may have missed is why the parents chose not to flee from the conflict. whether there was a sufficiently safe corridor or not, it was always safer to leave than to stay. israel gave the civilians (and terrorists) a week’s notice. unless hamas used them as human shields.
Nazis not just in Gaza: Imam in Shechem Praises Hitler
Hakol Hayehudi, 24/10/2023
Hakol Hayehudi exposes:
Naaman Mashaikh, an Imam at a mosque in Balata in Shechem incites to murder Jews and even praises Hitler.
In a recent post, he quoted a passage that many Arabs attribute to Hitler which says “I could have killed all the Jews in the world, but a left a few so you could…”
Together with the post, the Imam attached a picture of Hitler.
An assessment by Hakol Hayehudi uncovered that Mashaikh is an Imam at the ‘Old’ Mosque in the Balata camp in Shechem.
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/item/english/nazis_not_just_in_gaza__imam_in_shechem_praises_hitler
RADICAL MUSLIMS IN SOUTH AFRICA EFFECT: LINKING GENOCIDAL HAMAS TO THE GOVERNMENT
South African Foreign Minister’s Phone Call With Hamas Sparks Ire.
October 18, 2023 7:17 PM
Kate Bartlett
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA —
South Africa’s foreign minister has been criticized for holding a phone call with the leader of Hamas just 10 days after the Palestinian militant group launched a deadly attack on Israel. While the South African government has long expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, a South African Jewish organization says the phone call indicates the minister “supports” Hamas.
Naledi Pandor, formally South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation, said in a statement that she held a call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at his request to “discuss getting humanitarian aid into Palestine.”*
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Hamas delegation in South Africa for Palestinian solidarity event.
“The population is generally supportive of Israel but intimidated by a loud radicalized Muslim community.”
Rolene Marks.
(December 2, 2023 / JNS)
A senior Hamas delegation arrived in South Africa to participate in the Fifth Global Convention of Solidarity with Palestine.
The delegation includes politburo member Bassem Naim, Hamas representative in Iran Khaled Qaddoumi and Hamas representative in East, Central and Southern Africa Emad Saber. The delegation will meet representatives of political parties, civil society groups and the Palestine solidarity movement.*
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Outcry over Hamas visit to SA.
Published on Dec 7, 2023
By Nicola Miltz
South African Jewry is outraged by the visit to the country of a senior Hamas delegation to participate in the Fifth Global Convention of Solidarity with Palestine. This comes just weeks after Israel suffered on 7 October the gravest act of mass murder, including inhumane torture of Jews, since the Holocaust at the hands of this internationally designated terrorist organisation.
Still reeling in the aftermath of the brutal pre-dawn unprovoked attack in which 1 200 civilians were slaughtered, raped, maimed, and burned, and 240 people including babies, children, women, and the elderly were taken hostage into Gaza, the community has been angered by pictures on social media of Hamas delegates being warmly welcomed and embraced by representatives of political parties including the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the Anglican Church, civil society groups, and the Palestine solidarity movement.
“We are disgusted by Hamas’ presence in South Africa,” said the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
Rolene Marks, the spokesperson for the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) said, “The SAZF condemns the audacious admittance of extremists and terrorists into our country by the South African government, raising serious concerns about their potential involvement in fomenting extremism within our borders.”
The Hamas delegation included politburo member Dr Basem Naim; Hamas representative in Iran Dr Khaled Qaddoumi; and Hamas representative in East, Central and Southern Africa, Emad Saber.
Naim has publicly and consistently denied that Hamas kidnapped innocent women and children, killed civilians, and raped women, putting it all down to “fabricated Israeli propaganda”. This in spite of the fact that Hamas terrorists filmed themselves perpetrating these heinous crimes and posted live images of them doing so for the world to witness.
Only a week ago, Naim referred to the hostages as “guests”. This week, before delegates in Johannesburg, he described 7 October as a “glorious operation”. Naim said the narrative that Hamas attacked civilians at a music festival was “fabricated”. He went on to say that though Hamas did in fact initiate an attack on Israel on 7 October, he denied that it had targeted civilians. This same man told Australia’s 60 Minutes: “Our fighters haven’t committed any crimes”.
His colleague, Qaddoumi, lied on SABC News and other international media platforms that there were any children being held captive in Gaza. This is in spite of the fact that following 50 days in captivity, Hamas started to release Israeli child hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement.
In Naim’s address to the convention he said, “I’m filled with pride and glory to be a son of this heroic city, which has openly declared its willingness to sacrifice and martyrdom for our sincere national objectives, and indeed, for the salvation of humanity from the nasty entity known as the Zionist entity [Israel].”
The Hamas representatives took centre stage at the convention, which was jointly organised by the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine and the Royal House of Mandela, fronted by anti-Israel lobbyist Mandla Mandela, Mandela’s grandson. It also commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Global Campaign’s launch and the death of Nelson Mandela.
Representatives of Hezbollah, Palestine Islamic Jihad, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation were also present.
*