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.