Sunday 14 November 2021

Jews Don't Count?


I was curious to see how the BBC reported the story involving Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely's speech at the LSE and the surrounding intimidation. Following threats on social media [“We’re storming in,” “Let’s make her shake,” and offers of pints to anyone who smashed her car windows] and protests outside during her speech, protesters pushed forwards and rushed towards her as she left. Security guards hurried her to her car. The mobbing provoked widespread criticism, including from from senior politicians. 

Checking TVEyes confirmed that BBC TV [BBC One, BBC Two and the BBC News Channel] shunned the story, except for a brief mention at the very end of BBC London's late night bulletin. [“Do go to our website to see a story on the London School of Economics - investigating if students threatened the Israeli ambassador on a recent visit. Goodnight.”] There are two accounts on the BBC News website - the first is a byline-free report headlined Israeli ambassador protest: LSE investigating threats against Tzipi Hotovelythe second a piece by the BBC Asian Network's Karishma Patel headlined Israeli ambassador LSE debate: Organiser says protest has been mischaracterised. The latter is a one-sided affair simply quoting at length the justifications for the protests made by a student. 

The BBC clearly doesn't think much of this story, but many others do. Writing in The Spectator, Gavin Mortimer called it “the second significant anti-Semitic incident in London this year”, and Melanie Phillips wrote, “Needless to say, this treatment would be meted out to no other ambassador from any other country in the world.” 

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