Britannia Radio

November 18, 2010 The Wire Questionable Guardian portrayal of east Jerusalem eviction Wed. 24 Nov. 2010 @ 11.45 - Key fact buried in paragraph nine in reporting of controversial eviction of Palestinians from east Jerusalem house. Yesterday, Haaretz reported the eviction of a Palestinian family from a house in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood, Jabel Mukaber. Regardless of the highly charged context within which the eviction has taken place, the Israeli news outlet - known for its critical stance of Jewish activity in the area - nonetheless set out the facts clearly. Both the headline and the standfirst made clear that ownership was disputed and that the family allegedly sold the property: 'Palestinians evicted from East Jerusalem home claimed by Israelis' 'Right-wing Elad association claims family sold the home and left voluntarily' The lead also made reference to the alleged purchase: "Israel Police forces on Tuesday evacuated a Palestinian family from their home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber, after right-wing activists claimed to have purchased the building." The framing of the same story in today's Guardian was somewhat different...Read more>> Ofcom finds Press TV in breach of Broadcasting Code Mon. 22 Nov. 2010 @ 12.07 - On Monday, Ofcom ruled that Press TV's 'Comment', hosted by the former Labour MP George Galloway, was in breach of the UK broadcasting code's regulations on impartiality. Following complaints, Ofcom investigated six editions of 'Comment', a discussion programme on the Iranian-backed Press TV. Normally hosted by George Galloway, with one edition guest presented by Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, the coverage in question focused on the controversial killing in Dubai of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas leader. Ofcom's Broadcast Bulletin includes numerous quotes from the programme, including Galloway stating that: 'I have taken to describing Israel as - and I don't claim originality because it came from Norman Finkelstein - describing Israel as not a terrorist state, not a murderous state, not a rogue state, it is a lunatic state.' 'If I was running Iran I would build a bomb because Israel is aiming hundreds of nuclear weapons at me.' Ofcom investigated whether or not the editions in question complied with the rules on due impartiality...Read more>> Fisk 'fears' Lebanon might give Palestinians full citizenship Mon. 22 Nov. 2010 @ 15.14 - In an article about a new book, Independent journalist Robert Fisk voices his 'fears' that Lebanon might grant citizenship to its population of Palestinian refugees. In Sunday's 'Lebanon, my Lebanon: A stirring new photography book sparks Robert Fisk's memories', Fisk discussed 'The Lebanon', a new book by photographer Max Milligan. Addressing the issue of the country's 400,000 Palestinian refugees, confined in the main to 12 camps, he stated that: 'One day - speak it not in Lebanon, of course - these Palestinians or their children may also become Lebanese. That, of course, will be the day that the Americans and Israelis finally obliterate the Palestinians' UN-mandated "right of return", when Lebanon will have to be paid billions to give them passports - the Lebanese, I fear, might accept - and when Lebanon will become (because the Palestinians are mostly Sunnis, with only a sprinkling of Christians who have their own camp in east Beirut) an undeniably Muslim country.' It is remarkable that a journalist who is such a long time and staunch supporter of the Palestinians and knows of their lowly status in Lebanon would 'fear' their full integration into the country....Read more>> Special Event and invite you to a panel discussion on 'How to Stop the De-legitimisation of Israel' sponsored by Click here for more information.