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Just Journalism Update 17 August 2010 'Death in the Med': New footage supports Israel's claims On 16 August 2010 BBC Panorama broadcast 'Death in the Med', a carefully detailed investigation into Israel's raid of the Mavi Marmara, the only ship of the Free Gaza flotilla that became the site of a deadly confrontation between passengers and naval commandos. Presented by Jane Corbin, the half-hour programme included a raft of new video and radio footage of the event, taken from both the Israeli Navy and from confiscated passenger tapes, most of which were recorded by members of a website called CulturesOfResistance.org. This new footage enabled Corbin to piece together the most comprehensive sequence of events of the night of May 31. (See below for both a full transcript of the programme and the broadcast itself.) During the programme, Corbin expanded on three key points: 1. That the IDF had faced a violent assault from activists 2. That the attack had been pre-meditated by a 'hardcore' group of activists 3. That this core was organised by the Turkish Islamist charity, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). Just Journalism Executive Director Michael Weiss issued a statement this morning: 'I can scarcely think of a better piece of journalism on the flotilla raid than Jane Corbin's in-depth investigation, which drew from eyewitness testimony from both passengers and commandos aboard the Mavi Marmara. Notable in this report was an unwillingness to gloss over crucial video footage showing the upper deck of the ship laying siege to abseiling Israeli forces, or to take the word of IHH officials at face value. The only thing missing, really, was IHH's well-publicised role as both a fundraiser and ideological helpmeet of Hamas.' To read the rest of our detailed analysis, click here. To read our trancript of the programme, click here. VIEWPOINT: Kashmir is not Palestine Michael Weiss The Kashmir valley, the Indian-controlled but Muslim-majority territory on India's disputed border with Pakistan, has seen at least 53 people killed in the last two months in violent clashes between security forces and civilian protestors. According to Simon Tisdall writing in Thursday's Guardian ('India's blinkered policy on Kashmir'), the current crisis invites comparison to 'Israel's treatment of Palestinians.' This latest outbreak of rioting and fighting in Kashmir began on June 11 after a 17-year-old student was shot and killed by police in the summer capital of Srinagar. According to The Guardian's Jason Burke, 'In recent days, thousands of youths have pelted security forces with rocks, burned government offices and attacked railway stations and official vehicles in steadily intensifying violence.' India has imposed a strict curfew on the valley region, which, according to a report in The Spectator, has allowed some people out of their homes for just a single hour each week. So far 53 people have been killed in the escalated violence, most of them rock-throwing demonstrators or unarmed protestors who have been fired upon by Indian paramilitary troopers. Tisdall, seemingly aware of these facts, cites Barbara Crossette, a writer for the American left-wing magazine The Nation: 'India maintains a force of several hundred thousand troops and paramilitaries in Kashmir, turning the summer capital, Srinagar, into an armed camp frequently under curfew and always under the gun. The media is labouring under severe restrictions. Torture and human rights violations have been well documented.' It is after this paragraph that Tisdall observes, 'Comparisons with Israel's treatment of Palestinians were not inappropriate.' To read the rest, click here. Flotilla inquiry overshadows Sri Lankan civil war commission Last week saw considerable coverage of the developments surrounding the multiple investigations into Israel's boarding of the Mavi Marmara, which resulted in nine dead passengers and several wounded Israel Defence Force soldiers. Firstly, several top-ranking Israelis, including the Prime Minister, were called before the Turkel Committee. Secondly, Israel agreed to participate in a UN inquiry, before raising concerns about its soldiers being forced to give evidence. The amount of coverage that the inquiries into Israel's actions have received are in stark contrast to that given to an ongoing inquiry into how the Sri Lankan military conducted its operations against the Tamil separatists in 2009. That military campaign, which brought to an end a long running civil war, allegedly resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians; the UN estimates that 7,000 were killed, while the International Crisis Group contends that at least 30,000 died. Just Journalism analysed the disparity in how the Sri Lankan campaign and Israel's Operation Cast Lead, which occurred during the same time period, were portrayed in the media. To read our special report on the subject, click here. To read the rest of 'Flotilla inquiry overshadows Sri Lanka civil war commission',click here. Donating to Just Journalism Just Journalism is a not-for-profit organization and relies entirely upon the generosity of our supporters. If you wish to make a donation, please contactdonate@justjournalism.com for more information. For more information about Just Journalism, or to contact us, please visit www.justjournalism.com