'I'm afraid the BBC has to stand up to the Israeli authorities occasionally.' These are not my words, though they could be. These words, believe it or not, are those of a member of the British government, Ben Bradshaw, the health secretary and a former BBC journalist. They are a response to the BBC's decision not to air an emergency appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee raising funds for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
We live in interesting times. Who would have thought that a television channel of such benevolence as the BBC would deem something as worthy as raising funds for humanitarian relief in a war zone to be too political for broadcast?
The BBC is worried about its impartiality. More specifically, it is worried about its perceived impartiality. It believes that broadcasting an appeal asking for donations for the people of Gaza would be seen as taking sides in an ongoing conflict. The BBC views its essential responsibility to be in reporting the images of the suffering in as neutral and unbiased a way as possible and considers that airing an appeal might make their news reporting seem biased because it would use images from the conflict.
It is also worried about the feasibility of physically delivering aid to Gaza.
I am trying to see it from their point of view, but I am having some difficulty buying it. The second point first. At least three major charities taking part in the appeal have already started relief efforts in Gaza. The British government is also undertaking a major relief effort and has offered its full support to the charities in the appeal.
The real issue is that of impartiality. The BBC has for years been accused of being pro-Palestinian by the Israelis and pro-Israeli by Arab groups. As a public broadcaster it has a special responsibility to report the news in an unbiased and impartial manner. Add to that the fact that the corporation is in the middle of an identity crisis and you can easily understand why the BBC is struggling to find the right balance.
The result, however, is the exact opposite. In striving to be impartial the BBC has politicized something that need not be. Rather than focus on the big picture of human suffering, it is bent in on itself navel gazing and puts the fear of appearing biased above the opportunity to make a difference to human suffering. It is essentially saying that its role is to report suffering, not to alleviate it.
It is not as if the BBC never airs emergency appeals. Nor does it draw a line between emergencies that are the result of natural disasters and emergencies resulting from wars and man-made conflict. It has aired appeals for both, most recently in raising funds for the humanitarian crisis in the Congo. Moreover it makes a massive difference to fund-raising. By refusing to air the campaign appeal it has effectively cut the campaign in its tracks.
The BBC in deciding not to broadcast the appeal, particularly now that other British television channels have decided that they will air the appeal on Monday, is a statement of political partiality in the conflict. Is not the BBC's refusal to air the aid appeal in itself a statement of bias in favor of Israel? Is it not politicizing the suffering of the people of Gaza when all it needs to do is focus on the humanitarian disaster? The appeal is not to raise funds to arm Hamas or to line the pockets of politicians and activists in the area. The funds are being raised on behalf of British charities who will use it very strictly for humanitarian purposes and who are by definition nonpolitical. Surely saving lives must come before political correctness?
The key to resolving this issue is to remember than the Disasters Emergency Committee is an apolitical organization and that it is made up of the most reputable and accountable British charities. It is their responsibility to make sure that any campaign is not only apolitical but focuses on humanitarian relief to those that need it the most regardless of who they are. The aim is not to apportion blame or to look at the causes of suffering; the aim is simply to feed the hungry, provide shelter for the dispossessed and medical care for the injured and the sick.
Though the BBC is right to give overriding priority to maintaining the quality of its news reporting, as well as in thinking very seriously about the implications of any campaign for which it gives airtime, in this case the BBC has got it wrong. The decision is both ludicrous and appalling.
The BBC is coming under intense pressure to reconsider its decision by British politicians from both sides of the political fence. Perhaps by the time you read this the BBC will have decided to air the campaign after all, as did other television channels who at first followed suit with the BBC. The people of Gaza desperately need the aid. Ben Bradshaw is absolutely right: Sometimes the BBC should stand up to the Israelis.
