Less is More

Less is More

>> WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2011

The necessity for brevity in BBC online articles calls for ruthless pruning of irrelevant material. 

Ditching the detail and binning the background lays bare the priorities and prejudices of the BBC. What’s hot and what’s not; the salient v the superfluous. 

What’s left unsaid says it all. Let’s peek beneath the cloak of impartiality to expose the agenda-driven underbelly and unveil the secrets of the subtle but revealing body language of Jon Donnison. 

In other words, what you say and what you leave out speaks volumes. The answer my friend is lying on the cutting-room floor. 

Democratically elected! Hamas, for example, is a violent Islamist group, resolutely opposed to Israel’s existence. They were elected to govern Gaza ‘by the people’ “democratically” yet they are officially a terrorist group - the BBC doesn’t know whether to love them or loathe them. The tangible and subliminal Arabist vibes radiating from the BBC have inspired many Europeans and Westerners to see Palestinians solely as victims, not of their own government’s policies, but of Israel. 

Some particularly passionate, empathetic individuals are so moved emotionally (and physically) that they cross the globe to participate in ‘the struggle, ’ achieving both celebritydom and martyrdom. 

I can I can’t! Hamas can’t make up its mind whether it can or can’t control breakaway factions that send rockets into Israel, (it can’t) or capture hostages so as to make demands, (it can).  

When Italian pro Palestinian activist Vittorio Arrigoni was abducted by Salafist Islamists, but prematurely hanged before the set deadline, Hamas set off in pursuit of those responsible to show who’s boss. 

Blame Israel! Meanwhile, despite the video, Salafists denied that they were involved, and various experts suggested Mossad bumped Arrigoni off before he could participate in the forthcoming anti Israel publicity-stunt flotilla. Hamas organised a shoot-out, whereupon, as the BBC puts it, two Salafist suspects “died”. 

Not Enough Information !  There’s more, but the BBC sticks with: *a brief summary of the outcome of the siege. *The abduction, and Hamas’s condemnation of it. *An endearing quote from Hamas about the humanity of the Palestinian people. *A brief description of Salafism, *another brief description of the siege, including *injuries sustained. *

Another reference to Hamas’s condemnation of Arrigoni’s killing, this time ‘by Jon Donnison in Ramallah’ and *a reminder that this is the first kidnapping since 2007, indicating that Hamas have shown restraint and been very good well-behaved boys. 

Deemed Superfluous! The BBC evidently decided the following points are irrelevant. *Hamas are as violent as Salafists who are affiliated with Al-Qaeda. *“Peace Activism” is the exact opposite of what it says on the tin. 

*Arrigoni was a shit-stirring trouble-maker.  

*Arrigoni’s girlfriend was, of all things, ”co-ordinator of Israel/Occupied Territories Section” of our old friend Amnesty International.

*Ludicrous conspiracy theories that blame Israel for everything under the sun are rampant in the Arab world. 

*Israel desires peace despite being surrounded by hostile Jew-hating neighbouring countries which constantly and deliberately provoke retaliation as an excuse to resume the traditionally devillish tactics of warfare that the international community deems immoral and underhand when practised by other countries, but which said International community blatantly overlooks when employed against Israel by her enemies. Since the BBC has a habit of reiterating anything that casts Palestinians in a good light and Israelis as liars, the last point deserves reiteration as often and as repetitively as the death toll from Operation Cast Lead. H/T Pounce