The BBC hasn’t reported this story, but it reached the Times (£) today.
You’d think the BBC would be interested, since it concerns a TV film about migrants.
TV film. Migrants. What’s not to like?
But no. This story is not so much about migrants; it’s more about censorship. The BBC knows about that too, but probably isn’t keen on giving this particular censorship-related revelation the oxygen of publicity. You’ve probably seen the story. It was blogged by Not a Sheep, Breitbart, Pamela Geller and The Times of Israel.
COLOGNE — A new documentary on European anti-Semitism was financed with over €170,000 of taxpayer money. So why is it not being shown to the public? Because the TV networks holding the rights refuse to broadcast it.
The 90-minute film, “Chosen and Excluded — Jew Hatred in Europe” by German producers Joachim Schröder and Sophie Hafner, was commissioned by German public TV broadcaster WDR on behalf of its French-German partner channel Arte.
Presenting the various ways in which anti-Semitism is expressed in contemporary Europe, the documentary shows right-wing Neo-Nazis, BDS activists and a demonstrator dressed like a hippie who designates himself a libertarian and praises the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” Anti-Semitism among worker’s rights activists in France is featured alongside cases of Muslim Jew-hatred, some of which culminate in the torturing and cold-blooded murder of Jews.
However, once the documentary was submitted — and approved by the editor — the heads of the networks decided that it would not be broadcast because the movie allegedly “fails to meet formal requirements.”
Throughout Europe, the decision has roused much criticism: The French daily Le Monde and German anti-Semitism researcher Monika Schwarz-Friesel, among others, call it a case of censorship.
Paying special attention to the denigration of the state of Israel as one of the most prevalent contemporary forms of Jew-hatred, the documentary highlights the activities of NGOs that engage in anti-Semitic Israel bashing while receiving European tax money. In order to contextualize anti-Semitic libel about the Jewish state by contrasting it with the reality on the ground, the producers included footage from Israel and the Palestinian territories.
That footage, ironically, is what Arte program director Alain Le Diberder, states as the major reason for pulling the plug on the production.
In a press statement Le Diberder claims that the producers failed to comply with the requirement to deliver a documentary about anti-Semitism in Europe, because they included too much footage from Israel and too little from European countries.
“This is ludicrous,” says Serap Güler, a member of both the WDR network’s program council as well as the executive committee of German chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU-party.
Michaela Engelmeier, a Social-Democratic member of the Bundestag (Germany’s federal parliament), likewise calls Le Diberder’s statement “incomprehensible.”
What’s fascinating, in a morbidly ironic way, is that RT has also featured the story, but they’ve angled it in a different way. They’re focusing on the backlash. “French-German broadcaster faces backlash after ditching anti-Semitism film” Look how the piece is illustrated.
The comments below the line are rabidly antisemitic, proving a diametrically opposite point to the one intended.
Backlash? Of a sort, maybe; but not against French-German broadcaster channel Arte. Just unadulterated Jew-bashing mayhem.
Among the writers and bloggers who are nonplussed by the avalanche of antisemitism unleashed by Labour’s popularity is Marc Goldberg. His piece is enigmatically titled “The Irrelevance of Antisemitism.” ( Harry’s Place) Of course he didn’t mean he thinks antisemitism is irrelevant. It means he’s staggered by the number of labour voters and supporters to whom it actually is. They deny that antisemitism exists in the Labour Party because "legitimate criticism of Israel is not antisemitic" and accuse the accusers of perpetuating smears.
Were you aware that Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Theresa May in January because he was “concerned that there was a plot against British democracy” ?
I can’t remember if I knew about it at the time and had forgotten or if it was new to me, but either way it says more about Jeremy Corbyn’s stupidity and spitefulness than it does about hyperbolised theories about Israelis plotting to undermine democracy.
The plot in question was, of course, al Jazeera’s undercover film that caught a junior member of the Israeli Embassy on camera “plotting” to “take down” Alan Duncan, (which sadly came to nothing.)
The openness with which antisemitism is being expressed is one thing. The fact that it is based on so much misinformation is something that the BBC has the means to correct, and if they do not do so soon, they will look just as guilty as the next antisemite.
Not that I really believe in this graphology nonsense, but the that signature…
ReplyDeleteThe BBC are experts at suppressing this sort of information, so won't think this is worth making a fuss over. Do a search on the BBC website or in google using the following search term in quotes followed by site:bbc.co.uk
ReplyDeleteSearch for "anti-Muslim backlash" and "anti-Jewish backlash", then compare and contrast the results. Remember that they made at least three different reports - including video - about the discrimination and racism Muslims face in Malmö, but never once about what the Jews have gone through.
Don't want to give permission for prejudice or anything.