UPDATE: Jewish support grows for letter to BBC defending Gaza film

Mike Leigh, Miriam Margolyes and Alexei Sayle are among British Jews defending the BBC over its Gaza documentary

JVL Introduction

UPDATE – As of Tuesday evening, February 25, more than 600 British Jews have publicly endorsed calls on the BBC to reinstate on iPlayer the documentary Gaza: How to survive a Warzone. The updated list of names has been sent to Tim Davie and appears at the end of this post. 

Thanks are due to Skwawkbox for circulating the letter to BBC Director General Tim Davie which is gathering signatures from growing numbers of Jews appalled by the removal from iPlayer of an excellent documentary about the lives of children in Gaza. At the time of posting this (1830 on Saturday Feb 22) more than 300 British Jews have now signed, including film maker Mike Leigh, actress Miriam Margolyes, comedian and writer Alexei Sayle, author Gillian Slovo and other eminent academic and cultural figures. An updated list of names will be sent to Tim Davie tomorrow.

The letter is seeking Jewish signatories as a response to the initial complaint attempting to link the film to Hamas terrorism, initiated by veteran anti-Palestinian campaigner David Collier and promoted by prominent Jewish defenders of Israel keen to block public access to a rare BBC programme showing the humanity, humour and courage of Gazan youngsters.

The resulting furore on social media has very likely increased the audience for the film many times, with links to a variety of downloaded copies circulating widely.

NWI

This article was originally published by Skwawkbox on Fri 21 Feb 2025. Read the original here.

250+ leading British Jews call on BBC to restore documentary it deleted to please Israel lobby groups

Reject propagandists’ ‘cynical’ complaints, broadcaster told

A group of more than 250 leading Jewish Britons – a number that is still growing [now well over 600] – has written to BBC boss Tim Davie urging him to reject the ‘McCarthyite’ ‘cynical stunt’ of politically-coordinated complaints by the Israeli embassy and pro-Israel pressure groups that have seen the BBC delete its documentary on the suffering of Palestinians, especially the children and young people who make up half of Gaza’s population, during Israel’s genocide there – humanisation that is no doubt the driver for the coordinated pro-Israel outrage.

The group, which includes well-known names such as comedian and writer Alexei Sayle, actor Miriam Margolyes and film-maker Mike Leigh, has called on Davie to resist censorship and reject debunked smears against the children who appear in the documentary, which was made by one of the makers of the BBC’s Blue Planet series and an Emmy-winning independent film-maker.

Alexei Sayle said:

The film shows youngsters coping with death and destruction in a way that is both harrowing and hopeful. It is depressing that the BBC has been bullied into taking it off line. It should be restored for public view without delay.

The letter to Davie, signed by over 170 within just a few hours of the text being circulated, describes the complaint, by “strident” apologists for Israel’s crimes, as a “cynical stunt [intended] to prevent people viewing an account of the effect of Israel’s assault on Gaza on the people trying to live and stay alive there”, commends broadcasters for showing “details about the Israeli hostages and the tragic deaths of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas”, and points out that the people of Gaza must also be shown and seen “as full members of humanity deserving our attention and sympathy…The programme should be judged on its own merits and not be subjected to McCarthyite allegations of guilt by association.”

The full letter reads:

Dear Tim Davie,

Reject complaints about ‘Gaza; How to Survive a Warzone’

The BBC should be deluged in plaudits for broadcasting ‘Gaza; How to Survive a Warzone’, not subject to hostility. It is a moving and compassionate look at the terrible suffering endured by Palestinian children over the last year and a half.  We commend the BBC for their courage in making and broadcasting this programme and urge them to maintain that courage against attempts to have it taken down or subjected to unnecessary disavowals.
It is impossible to regard the complaint by a number of strident defenders of Israel’s actions about the BBC’s broadcast of this documentary as anything other than a cynical stunt. It is clear their intent is to prevent people viewing an account of the effect of Israel’s assault on Gaza on the people trying to live and stay alive there.

Abdullah Al-Yazouri is an articulate presenter of life in Gaza . His father’s job is not relevant. He is a person in his own right and must be judged on his own actions not his father’s or anyone else, whatever the extent of his father’s involvement in agreeing to his taking part in the film.

In any case the objectors have not provided any information that his father is a a member of Hamas’s military wing, not that if he were it would affect the standing of his son. His father is deputy minister of agriculture, a middle ranking bureaucrat. No evidence has been presented to suggest that Ayman Al-yazouri used any influence he may have had either to advance the participation of Abdullah or exercise any influence on the content of the programme. If he had the documentary would surely have had fewer or even no criticisms of the actions of Hamas in causing the catastrophe.

Had the BBC broadcast a programme featuring the child of an Israeli army officer who had served in Gaza we would not dream of objecting on that account, we would have concentrated on the merit or demerits of the content.

We are rightly asked to view details about the Israeli hostages and the tragic deaths of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas. In contrast, we do not have stories about individual Palestinian children and mothers who have been killed or the histories of many, if any, of the Palestinians who have been released in the exchanges, a large proportion of whom were imprisoned under administrative detention, without charge or trial and include many children.

It is clear that the letter writers regard any effort to show the people of Gaza as full members of humanity deserving our attention and sympathy as not fit for broadcast. The programme should be judged on its own merits and not be subjected to McCarthyite allegations of guilt by association.

We urge the BBC to reject these complaints and continue to be proud of and promote an exemplary documentary and not be dissuaded from showing us details of the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Signed (in alphabetical order – signatories as of 2200 February 25):

  1. Phil Abel
  2. Helen Abeles
  3. Jeanette Abendstern
  4. Michele Abendstern
  5. John Abraham
  6. Allen Abramson
  7. Kate Adams
  8. Erika Adler
  9. Marion Adler
  10. Jennifer Ainsley
  11. Michael Albu
  12. Sapphire Allard
  13. Jeff Allison
  14. Bonny Ambrose
  15. Tony Ambrose
  16. Liz Amiel Harriman
  17. Rebecca Amiel
  18. Nik Ammar
  19. Ruth Appleton
  20. Philip Arditti
  21. Maureen Arnaiz
  22. Ilona Aronovsky FHA
  23. Deborah Asher
  24. M F Asna
  25. Martin Ayres
  26. Sophie Bagg
  27. Ambreen Baig
  28. Helen Banks
  29. Spencer Banks
  30. Daphna Baram
  31. Ilana Baram
  32. Julia Bard
  33. Sue Bard
  34. Mark Barnes-Gutteridge
  35. Celia Barnett
  36. Gemma Barnett
  37. Gretel Baron
  38. Judith Baron
  39. John Baruch
  40. Michelle Baruch Baron
  41. Graham Bash
  42. Sandi Beecher
  43. Moshe Behar
  44. David Bell
  45. Ella Benami
  46. Jennifer Bennett
  47. Jacqueline Bentley
  48. Martin Berman
  49. Linda Bernhardt
  50. Alan Bernstein
  51. Dr Jon Berry
  52. Polly Bindman
  53. Jo Bird
  54. Rica Bird
  55. Frank Black
  56. Pamela Blakelock
  57. Carla Bloom
  58. Louise Bloom
  59. Alice Bondi
  60. Tony Booth
  61. Philipa Bragman
  62. Gabriella Braun
  63. E.J. Brener
  64. Chris Brennan
  65. Prof. Haim Bresheeth-Zabner
  66. Imogen Bright
  67. Tania Bronstein
  68. Judy Brown
  69. Raymond Brown
  70. Peter Buckman
  71. Barry Buitekant
  72. Erica Burman
  73. Zana Calhoun
  74. David Cannon
  75. Diane Cannon
  76. Brian Capaloff
  77. Russell Caplan
  78. Simon Caplan
  79. Linda Carey
  80. Eli Carola
  81. Michael Chambers
  82. David Chapkin
  83. Esta Malka Charkham
  84. Jane Charlesworth
  85. Nati Charney
  86. Susann Chenery
  87. Eve Cina
  88. Katie Clarke
  89. Rosalind Clayton
  90. Sue Coatman
  91. May Cocozza
  92. Tony Cocozza
  93. Amnon Cohen
  94. Barbara Cohen
  95. Della Cohen
  96. Eran Cohen
  97. Norma Cohen
  98. Robert Cohen
  99. Ron Cohen
  100. Simon Cohen
  101. SR Cohen
  102. Zoe Cohen
  103. Katy Colley
  104. Louise Collins
  105. Margaret Conrad
  106. Susan Corby
  107. Judith Lesser Cravitz
  108. Hannah Cross
  109. Sheila Curran
  110. Oliver Currie
  111. Joan Curtis
  112. Mike Cushman
  113. Jill Daniels
  114. Edwin Darfi
  115. Rabbi Janet Darley
  116. Professor Miriam David
  117. Anne Davies
  118. Bernard Davies
  119. Sally Davies
  120. Kayla Dawes
  121. Felicity De Motta
  122. Hilary De Santos
  123. Alan Deadman
  124. Peter Deadman
  125. Nicky Defries
  126. Ivor Dembina
  127. David Denison
  128. Shaheda Dewan
  129. Mike Dixon
  130. Shlomo Dowen
  131. Elizabeth Dresner
  132. Dr Judit Druks
  133. Marc Eady
  134. Rebecca Earle
  135. Linda Edmondson
  136. Rosalind Edwards
  137. Susan Egert
  138. Professor Barbara Einhorn
  139. Sue Einhorn
  140. Nancy Elan
  141. Carolyn Emanuel
  142. Judith Emanuel
  143. David Epstein
  144. Simon Evans
  145. Rebecca Fall
  146. Judy Farrar
  147. Gene Feder OBE
  148. Pia Feig
  149. Andrew Feinstein
  150. Anna Feldman
  151. Rayah Feldman
  152. Shelley Feldman
  153. Sam Ferguson
  154. Neil Finer
  155. Deborah Fink
  156. Nathan Finkelstein
  157. Sylvia Finzi
  158. Rajmil Fischman
  159. Torr Fischman
  160. Raoul Fishman
  161. Rebecca Fishman Collier
  162. Sonia Florent
  163. Dr Jonathan Fluxman
  164. Carol Foster
  165. Erika Fox
  166. Jeremy Fox
  167. Stephen Fox
  168. Nancy Frankel
  169. Alexander Franklin
  170. Jonathan Franklin
  171. Professor Des Freedman
  172. Nicola Freeling
  173. Daniel Friedman
  174. Debbie Friedman
  175. Edie Friedman
  176. Michael Friedman
  177. Yael Friedman Silver
  178. Jonathan Galton
  179. Dave Gatrell
  180. Jane Gatrell
  181. Carrie Gaye
  182. Ben Gelblum
  183. Carolyn Gelenter
  184. Freda Gewirtz
  185. Professor Sharon Gewirtz
  186. Roisin Gewirtz-O’Reilly
  187. Polly Gifford
  188. Lynda Gilbert
  189. Vicki Gilbert
  190. René Gimpel
  191. Rose Glandfield
  192. Louise Glatt
  193. Rob Goddard
  194. David Goldberg
  195. Martin Golding
  196. Laura Gonzalez
  197. Arthur Goodman
  198. John Goodman
  199. Simon Goodman
  200. Stuart Goodman
  201. Elanor Gordon
  202. Mariella Gordon
  203. Tinka Gordon
  204. Adam Goren
  205. Monica Gort
  206. Joshua Gottlieb
  207. Tony Graham
  208. Lesley Grahame
  209. Cathy Green
  210. Helen Green
  211. Tony Greenstein
  212. M Greenwood
  213. Helen Grisdale
  214. Jacky Gruhn
  215. Emre Gunduz
  216. Rosie Gunn
  217. Ros Hancock
  218. Edith Hargreaves
  219. Alison Harris
  220. Caroline Harris
  221. Robert Harris
  222. Louise Harrison
  223. Stephanie Harrison
  224. Roger Haydon
  225. Abe Hayeem
  226. Caroline Hearst
  227. Ruth Heilbronn
  228. Dr Jane Henriques
  229. Jacob Heringman
  230. Bob Heyman
  231. Susan Himmelweit
  232. Beatrice Hoffman
  233. Justin Hoffman
  234. Andrew Hornung
  235. Rachael Horwitz
  236. Rachel-Leah Hosker
  237. Susan Hughes
  238. Gillian Hundt
  239. Adam Hurst
  240. Henry Hyatt
  241. Professor Jeffrey Hyman
  242. Anthony Isaacs
  243. Jade Isaacs
  244. Claire Jackson
  245. Laura Jacobs
  246. Steve Jansky
  247. Benjamin Jeffryes
  248. Professor Victor Jeleniewski Seidler
  249. Joanna Jellinek
  250. Leon Jevons
  251. MR William J Johnston
  252. Naomi Junnor
  253. Michael Kalmanovitz
  254. Gidon Kaminer
  255. Stephen Kapos
  256. Jenny Kassman
  257. Tessa Katz
  258. Ruth Kaufman OBE
  259. Talitha Kearey
  260. John Keidan
  261. Paul Kelemen
  262. Ian Kemp
  263. Jessica Kempner
  264. Professor Peter Kennard
  265. Shira Keshet
  266. Monash Kessler
  267. David Keys
  268. Brenda Kirsch
  269. Oliver Kletz
  270. Eleonore Kofman
  271. Katherina Kohler
  272. Toby Konyn
  273. Joe Korner
  274. Simon Korner
  275. Robert Kornreich
  276. Dr Agnes Kory
  277. Adam Kossoff
  278. Angie Kotler
  279. Ann Kramer
  280. Jay Kramer
  281. Judith Kramer
  282. Lewis Kranat
  283. Stephanie Krayer
  284. Bev Krell
  285. Debbie krsntz
  286. Mary Kuper
  287. Richard Kuper
  288. Jon Kurts
  289. Barbara Lambert
  290. Jake Lancaster
  291. Fred Frank Land
  292. M Landauer
  293. Nina Langrish
  294. Bernice Laschinger
  295. Ruth Lass
  296. Michelle Laufer
  297. Pam Laurance
  298. Felicity Rose Laurence
  299. Mike Layward
  300. Jennie Lazenby
  301. Louise Lee
  302. Reginald Lee
  303. Madeline Lees
  304. Joanna Leigh
  305. Mike Leigh
  306. Helen Lentell
  307. Clara Leon-Brown
  308. Hemdat Lerman
  309. Jessica Leschnikoff
  310. Leah Levane
  311. B Levene
  312. Dr Mark Levene
  313. Eva Levi
  314. Les Levidow
  315. Sue Levi-Hughes
  316. Peter Levin
  317. Prof Malcolm H Levitt FRS
  318. Annie Levy
  319. Dr Gerald Levy
  320. Erica Levy
  321. Paul Blain Levy
  322. Rosalind Levy
  323. Soreh Levy
  324. Jenny Lewenstein
  325. David Lewis
  326. Peter Lewis
  327. Wendy Lewis
  328. Sonja Linden
  329. Stephen Linton
  330. Adrian Litvinoff
  331. Robert Lizar
  332. Yosefa Loshitzky
  333. Dave Lukes
  334. Sue Lukes
  335. Ruth Lukom
  336. Nina Lyndon
  337. John Lynes
  338. Simon Lynn
  339. Deborah Harriet Maccoby
  340. Dorothy Macedo
  341. Louise Macgregor
  342. Ilana Machover
  343. Dr Viv Mackay
  344. Anna Magyar
  345. Kay Manasseh
  346. Philippa Jill Manasseh
  347. Professor Moshé Manchover
  348. Lydia Mangle
  349. Moshe Mankoff
  350. Jaycee Manson
  351. Jenny Manson
  352. Kristina Manson
  353. Miriam Margolyes
  354. Stuart Markless
  355. Helen Marks
  356. Lara Marks
  357. Stephen Marks
  358. Helen Martins
  359. Helen Mayer
  360. Katrina Mayer
  361. Lise Mayer
  362. Joanna Mazouzi
  363. Terence James McGinity
  364. Linda Meehan
  365. Orna Meir-Stacey
  366. Ronald Mendel
  367. Heather Mendick
  368. Karen Merkel
  369. Jane Merkin
  370. Baris Cayli Messina
  371. Simcha Michael
  372. Martine Miel
  373. Dr Laura Miller
  374. Angie Mindel
  375. Chris Mohr
  376. Simon Mohun
  377. Sara Mokone
  378. David Mond
  379. Gabriel Mond
  380. Isaac Montagu
  381. Chantal Morgenbesser
  382. Elizabeth Morley
  383. Andrea Morris
  384. Shosh Morris
  385. Miriam Moss
  386. Elisa Mulraney
  387. L Murdoch
  388. Alice Mutasa
  389. Thembi Mutch
  390. Keely Myers
  391. Ruth Nathan
  392. Mica Nava
  393. Marc Neal
  394. Diana Neslen
  395. Amitai Netser
  396. Roni Netser
  397. Maddy Nettleship
  398. Sophie Neuburg
  399. Michael Newbold
  400. David Nissen
  401. Dr Paul Oestreicher
  402. Paul O’Hanlon
  403. Kevin O’Neill
  404. Gary Ostrolenk
  405. Dr William Owen
  406. Mark Owen
  407. Sue Owen
  408. Ellie Palmer
  409. Kathy Panama
  410. Sureya Parsons-
  411. Abbie Paton
  412. Barbara Payman
  413. Caryne Pearce
  414. Kenneth Pearce
  415. Bob Phillips
  416. Charlie Phillips
  417. Sol Picciotto
  418. Anat Pick
  419. Anne Pickard
  420. Miranda Pinch
  421. Nancy Platt
  422. Anna Pollert
  423. Ofra Ben Porat Ram
  424. Stefan Povolotsky
  425. Charlotte Prager Williams
  426. Raphael Prais
  427. Elinor Prędota
  428. Viv Pribram
  429. Judy Price
  430. Isadora Pulman-Jones
  431. Caroline Raine
  432. Karen Raingold
  433. Dro Ramos
  434. Roland Rance
  435. Leo Reich
  436. Lorna Reith
  437. Valerie Remy
  438. Jenny Richardson
  439. Eddy Richman
  440. Angie Roberts
  441. Professor Marion Roberts
  442. Naomi Roberts
  443. Michael Robins
  444. Lee Robinson
  445. Paul Robinson
  446. Denise Robson
  447. Neil Rogall
  448. Ben Rogaly
  449. Eve Rogans
  450. Anne Rogers
  451. Marian Roiser
  452. Steve Roman
  453. Lawrence Rose
  454. Rachel Rosen
  455. David Rosenberg
  456. Monday Rosenfeld
  457. Marsha Rosengarten
  458. Professor Jonathan Rosenhead
  459. Robert Rosenthal
  460. Benny Ross
  461. Leon Rosselson
  462. Carolyn Roth
  463. Sonia Routledge
  464. Katy Rubin
  465. John Rubinstein
  466. Michael Ryan
  467. Pete Sacker
  468. Zaitun Sadikali
  469. Sabby Sagall
  470. Robert Sakula
  471. Naomi Salaman
  472. Raphael Salkie
  473. Wendy Saloman
  474. Karen Sambrook
  475. Ben Samuel
  476. Andrew Samuels
  477. Joel Samuels
  478. Marsha Sanders
  479. Myra Sands
  480. Esther Saraga
  481. Helen Saunders
  482. Joe Saunter
  483. Ian Saville
  484. Sean Sayers
  485. Alexei Sayle
  486. Pam Schickler
  487. Michelle Schneider
  488. Rachel Schraer
  489. Richard Scoones
  490. Claude Scortariu
  491. Mike Scott
  492. Vicky Scrivener
  493. Judy Sebba
  494. Glyn Secker
  495. Irene Sedler
  496. Marian Sedley
  497. Lynne Segal
  498. Dr Malcolm Segall
  499. Laurel Selby
  500. Paul Seligman
  501. Ori Selkirk
  502. Daniel Selwyn
  503. Jacob Serruya W.
  504. Meir Shabat
  505. Jane Shackman
  506. Dr Jon Shaffer
  507. Jessica Sharp
  508. Sue Shaw
  509. Anna Sherbany
  510. Peter Sheridan
  511. Judy Sherwood
  512. Brian Silk
  513. Stanley Silva
  514. Roger Silverman
  515. Edward Silvers
  516. Sue Simmonds
  517. Janet Simon
  518. Ludi Simpson
  519. Irris Singer
  520. Laurence Singer
  521. Sidney Singer
  522. Sophie Slater
  523. Gillian Slovo
  524. Robyn Slovo
  525. Dr Andy Sluckin
  526. Clare Smith
  527. Erica Smith
  528. Harry Smith
  529. Jonathan S Smith
  530. Mark Smith
  531. Leni Solinger
  532. Stephen Solley
  533. Jeremy Solnick
  534. Nika Soon-Shiong
  535. David Sperlinger
  536. Loz Speyer
  537. Bernard Spiegal
  538. Abi Stacey
  539. Sarah Stacey
  540. Tamara Stanton
  541. Georgina Stead
  542. Ruth Steigman
  543. Lyndall Stein
  544. Julia Steinberger
  545. Andrew Stern
  546. Patrick Sternberg
  547. Shafia Stevens
  548. Emili Stevenson
  549. Frances Stewart
  550. Kitty Stewart
  551. Vanessa Stilwell
  552. Adam Stock
  553. Helen Stollar
  554. Howard Stollar
  555. Oren Stone
  556. R Strelitz
  557. Sylvia Summer
  558. Adam Sutcliffe
  559. Tamar Szmuilowicz
  560. Emma Tait
  561. Ruth Tarlo
  562. Florian Taylor
  563. Melanie Teff
  564. Ruth Tenne
  565. Stephen Tiller
  566. Bianca Todd
  567. Alma Toiber Kent
  568. Nathalie Tolmie-Thomson
  569. Shaylees Tosney
  570. Avi Tragen
  571. Michel Trainer
  572. Jeremy Tresman
  573. Dr Alan Tuckman
  574. Eve Turner
  575. Denni Turp
  576. Lisa Van Der Velde
  577. Tessa van Gelderen
  578. Alan Van Loen
  579. Roger van Zwanenberg
  580. Misha Vertkin
  581. Daniel Vulliamy
  582. Tirza Waisel
  583. Bob Walker
  584. Gordon Walker
  585. Lorraine Walters
  586. Caroline Ward
  587. Philip Ward
  588. Annie Warwick
  589. Lily Watson
  590. Kristin Watt-Bonar
  591. Dr Rodney Watts
  592. Leo Wax
  593. Naomi Wayne
  594. Dave Weinbren
  595. Sam K Weinstein
  596. Barry Weitz
  597. Janet Weitz
  598. Ivan Wels
  599. Tom Wengraf
  600. Julia West
  601. Barbara White
  602. Martin White
  603. Miriam Williams
  604. Ruth Williams
  605. Dr G.M. Wilmers
  606. Cara Wilson
  607. Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi
  608. Deborah Windley
  609. Geraldine Winkler
  610. A Winkler
  611. Professor Richard Wistreich
  612. Esther Woolfson
  613. Michael Wright
  614. G Yershon
  615. Ruth Young
  616. Gillian Yudkin
  617. Harriet Yudkin
  618. Professor John S Yudkin
  619. James Zacune

 

Comments (9)

  • Rosie Brocklehurst says:

    Excellent work by all concerned. I have written in to complain separately. BBC have been put under pressure from a handful of hypocritical shills led by the disgusting David Collier and are so weak-kneed it took just 48 hours for them to cave in. Its the ONLY full documentary that exists What a shameful suppression of these remarkable children’s voices-.

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  • ANTHONY SPERRYN says:

    Publish and be damned.

    One sort of human being takes responsibility for his or her actions. Another sort of ?human being wants to keep things secret.

    In the matter of the film, it is the second sort that has been influencing the BBC and, clearly, they are ashamed of what they are doing and what has been done in their name. If what they had been doing, and the underlying reasons for the film were right, they would publicise it . They don’t want to. They have been responsible for their actions and those of their fellow deviants from civilised human behaviour and they must be ashamed.

    Desmond Tutu’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission cleared the air after South Africa’s Apartheid and the time is shortly coming when a similar action will be needed to clear the air and the minds of people who are complicit in what must be the greatest crime of our era.

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  • Richard Snell says:

    The BBC’s claims to impartiality are as flimsy as rice-paper in a rainstorm. The Zionist cabal says ‘Jump!’, and Tim Davie speedily does an imitation of a dog leaping up to lick its master’s face. The BBC news directors’ blatant attempt to make individual heroes of the Israeli hostages while discussing the Palestinian hostages as if they were no more than lost parcels being returned to their owners is nauseating to witness. This can’t sit well with the BBC’s real journalists. Who is going to persuade Tim Davie and the BBC’s Board that what Israel is doing is just WRONG, and needs HONEST reporting, whatever the Zionists say.

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  • Moni Mohsin says:

    It is high time BBC stopped dehumanising Palestinians at the behest of Israeli pressure groups and lived up to its commitment to truth and transparency

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  • Gavin Lewis says:

    Great work by the signatories and Skwawkbox but one has to suspect that religious identity invoked with regard to Israel, will once again simply turn out a beard, and that the anti-genocide critics will be treated once again, as the wrong sort of Jews. Put simply, the lobby has a nuclear armed state’s PR budget behind it, Israel is a strategic asset for the US, the UK government is its lapdog, and the BBC stands revealed a blatant state-affiliated propagandist. That is not an excuse to stop campaigning but instead to reject false pre-determined starting points for debate that the establishment presents to those fighting oppression. Nations are social constructs, they don’t have rights to exist, least of all those white colonial constructs built out of 19th racist colonial ideologies – is the establishment similarly clamouring to unite Ireland or mourning Yugoslavia? The term racism originated in the post war decolonisation consensus and described the ongoing structural oppression of western imperialisms victims. Especially, given the rigged nature of public debate, there isn’t any reason to be treating Israel with any greater sanctity or legitimacy, than its two sister colonial projects, Rhodesia & Apartheid South Africa, that also bucked the decolonisation consensus. This means publicly acknowledging Israel’s lobby – like previous colonialist lobbies – are simply racists supporting racism. In the end there is going to be more of the public outside the corrupted hollowed out centre, repeating this obvious logic, than those listening to distant over-centralised illogical establishment orthodoxies.

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  • JW says:

    Every single day I fire off complaints to the BBC about its coverage of Gaza……

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  • John Bowley says:

    For me this episode shows the steady hypocrisy of the ‘Labour’ government which proves itself to be composed of shallow establishment politicians who act as if Zionism is the predominant belief of all Jewish people, a vile slur against Jews when selfish Zionist extremism in Israel has caused the deaths of disproportionate numbers of indigenous women and children.

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  • Anjum Iqbal says:

    Dear all , Thank you for your humanity and morality. God bless you all. Anjum

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