The AP reports that the BBC would not show a charity fund raising appeal for Palestians in the Gaza Strip. The AP also reports that ITV and Channel 4 which are the UK's version of the Big Four would show the charity.
What caught my eye in the AP piece was this excerpt
The national broadcaster said it had rejected the ad because showing it might harm the BBC's reputation for impartiality and because it could not be sure humanitarian aid would reach the needy in the chaotic territory.
If have anybody with impartial eye has been following this crisis, Isreal has clearly used excessive force given the current threat level that Hamas played to Isreal. Isreal went far beyond their means in bombing Gaza and the country should hold a public inquiry to determine whether the people who ordered the attack violated any current Isreali laws on the rules of engagement in warfare.
I have not seen any video accounts of the destruction in Gaza but have heard of horror of destruction and tragedy on Democracy Now. In addition, Robert Fisk has published a series of good pieces showing the horror and brutality of the Gaza invasion.
The BBC decision not to show the telethon because it has to upholds its sterling reputation of Impartiality is absurd. Any impartial eyewitness account would be clearly conclude that Isreal had created a humanitarian disaster in the bombing of Gaza. Therefore, it would have been impartial act to permit the telethon to run. Instead, the BBC decide to cower to the Isreali lobby and not to show the telethon.
In conclusion, the BBC's act is considered to be an act of cowardice and actually show a passive bias to special interests that favor the Isreali lobby. And it makes me question whether there is some bias in BBC report ing on news related to Isreal-Palestian crises.