Wednesday 17 June 2015

The negative approach

Israel is viewed negatively in much of the world........ and certainly so in the UK” 
announced Evan Davis as he introduced an ugly interview with MK Tzipi Livni on Newsnight.
“And certainly so in the UK?” 
Well, that may be the case in some circles, and it certainly is so at the BBC. At least Evan Davis is open about it.

Now that we’ve got that straight, let’s unpack this. Where the BBC’s Israel related output is concerned, this implies that allowances must be made for the ‘negativity’ of much of the world, both in respect of the BBC’s claim to impartial reporting and in respect of its general editorial decisions.

Everything that is beamed from the BBC into the viewer’s living room has been viewed through that prism, has passed through that filter and has been seen through that lens. It stems from the negative perspective that Evan admits is “certainly so” within what he assumes is the UK. 
In reality that view is less of a certainty these days in the UK than it is in the BBC. People on the outside are beginning to join the dots, even if the BBC will not.



Its international image certainly worries the country, and Prime Minister Netanyahu says any campaign to delegitimize Israel must be fought. In his sights was the BDS movement.” continued Evan. 
This movement is much more than a symbolic gesture to show support for the Palestinian cause; to encourage, somehow, or hasten a two state solution or to demonstrate the full extent of the campaigners’ ill-informed, wrong-headed, almost adolescent disapproval of Israel. It’s recognised by anyone with half a brain that what these people are calling for is the abolition of Israel as the Jewish homeland. 



If a total boycott were ever to be achieved, and not just a selective version that didn’t inconvenience anyone like, say, Stephen Hawking or cancer sufferers or people with heart problems that might require a stent etc etc., we’d all have to abandon much of our technology. A mixed blessing maybe.

“The last thing that Israel wants is for any comparison to apartheid South Africa to ‘catch on’ “ Evan drones. He knows what's the last thing Israel wants, I’m sure.

“Did you agree with the boycott against apartheid in apartheid South Africa?” he asks Livni with a penetrating glare. 

“What else can the world do? If the world realises that the Israeli government is not interested in the two state solution?” he ponders, pretending to be reasonable.

What? Whatever gave him that notion? Which party is ‘not interested’ in any two state solution? Which party will not accept two states if one of the two is full of Jews? 

How ill-informed can Evan be?   Back to apartheid, then to lawfare.” 
"Are you scared of being arrested when you come here?”
“Do you call your parents terrorists?”
“ Disproportionate!”
“ The UN calls Israel’s response disproportionate.”
“ How many Palestinians were killed in comparison to Israeli?”
“ What is the ratio of civilians killed?”

Oh dear. Is this the best standard of questioning the BBC can provide? Is the BBC courting the Muslim vote? Trying to appease the Israel-bashing element?
Evan looks decidedly cadaverous these days; he’s completely out of his depth, both as chief presenter of  Newsnight and with the topic of the Middle East.

This appalling style of interview is not designed to enlighten anyone. It’s pure hectoring for the sake of it, and completely pointless for any other purpose than demonstrating the BBC’s deeply ignorant and negative attitude to Israel, to Jews and to anyone with any intelligence.     

10 comments:

  1. Personally I wouldn't mind tough questioning of Israeli leaders if there was ever any tough questioning of Palestinian leaders - but there never is.

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    1. Meshaal , Hardtalk
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhGVmXS3KDw

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    2. The exception which proves the rule. And just when I thought the BBC was biased against Israel. Silly me !

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  2. It's just trope after lazy trope. The goulish Body Count narrative done in two variations, an attempt at public shaming and intimidation, South Africa. They can't even come up with anything original. Fortunately, the BBC will get "complaints from both sides" about this interview and claim impartiality, just the facts, ma'am.

    Yet more proof the the BBC's biggest fear is being seen as a Zionist shill. This was about proving their "Critical of Israel" bona fides, and nothing more. We already know the BDS movement is very strong at the BBC, and this will cheer them all up.

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  3. BBC Watch just laid bare a bunch of undeniable facts in complement that should, in a sane world, have BBC Complaints, Davies, Katz & Lord Hall begging forgiveness.

    Not sure homaging Mishal Husain's tack on proportionality was wise, either.

    The BBC so often excuses associated awkwardness with 'it was a different time'. This isn't even close to comparison, yet they feel the boot, now snugly on their foot, needs testing out.

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  4. Ignoramus.
    But given how he interviewed Farage, it`s all of a piece.
    THIS is the level of intellectual engagement that the liberal left pimps and BBC parasites come up with now.

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  5. I didn't see it, but it seems Davis interviewed 2 historians on Newsnight. One question was " Wellington. What kind of guy was he ? A nice guy ? " . One of the historians was Andrew Roberts whose hero-worship documentary on Napoleon is being screened on the BBC. No guesses about who the BBC wished had won at Waterloo , and oblivious to the irony that , if he had won, there would probably be no BBC today !

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    1. That whole Newsnight piece was focused on why Britain DIDN'T win the Battle of Waterloo - especially the contributions of the reporter and presenter (Evan), who seemed to be trying to entice various interviewees to snigger at British pride about Waterloo and - most noticeably - to praise a united German-dominated European coalition and stop being so insular.

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    2. Craig, that is very much the impression I got from from some reports on the internet. None of this shameless , blatant, bias should surprise us, of course. I am glad that Newsnight is way past my bedtime ! It will be interesting to see what Roberts has to say about Waterloo in next weeks documentary.

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    3. The Napoleon series is proving fascinating as a vehicle, and oodles of dosh, has been provided to one man to aver just about everyone else got 'im wrong.

      But he contradicts himself all the time, and the evidence of one's lying eyes with their lush production standards often jibes with what he claims.

      I'm sure Boney got a bad rap after being defeated, as that is what happens to losers, but the whole thing seems like a parody. Roberts comes across as some kind of Comical Pierre.

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