The BBC's poor handling of Gaza films – and the constraints on debate
But these contortions point to a problem that goes far beyond the BBC. It reflects the constraints on any meaningful debate about Israel's response to the atrocities of 7 October and its subsequent behaviour in Gaza and on the West Bank, the results of which are shaping up to be one of the worst humanitarian disasters of this century. Nowhere does this resistance to discussion seem more apparent than at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. When 36 of its members expressed their concern about Gaza in a letter to the Financial Times, five were suspended and the rest were censured.
What neither the BBC nor the Board of Deputies can ignore is that the decades-old protected status of Israel is fragmenting. Awkward questions have to be asked. The BBC must not let fear of giving offence stifle coverage. Peter GrimsdaleFormer BBC executive and Channel 4 religion commissioner
The BBC said that it would not broadcast a film on the treatment of doctors in Gaza because of concerns that it may create 'a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect' (Channel 4 to show BBC-commissioned documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, 28 June).
This highlights the issue with the BBC that I have struggled with for many years. Reporting the truth, where it has been verified by reliable sources, is not partial. Giving a counterpoint that has not been so verified is partial.
This is why Palestinian lives are not universally valued. Because every time someone stands up for them, there is a counterpoint that makes it sound antisemitic to have valued a Palestinian life.Alexandra LucasLondon
Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump claims Israel ready for Gaza peace deal in bid to boost Hamas ceasefire talks
Donald Trump has claimed that Israel is ready to agree to a peace deal with Hamas as he seeks to broker a ceasefire to the war in Gaza that has claimed almost 60,000 lives. In a post on Truth Social, the US president wrote: 'Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' He said representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver 'this final proposal' to Hamas. There was no immediate official response from Israel or Hamas to Trump's post. It is unclear what conditions specifically Israel has agreed to and Trump's previous claims that Israel was ready to end the war, including a ceasefire negotiated before his inauguration in January, have quickly broken down as both sides have accused the other of violating agreements on prisoner exchanges. Nonetheless, the claim comes after Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, and on the same day as Israel's strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, reportedly met US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. 'The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal,' Trump wrote. 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.' Trump told reporters earlier in the day that he was hopeful that a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement could be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites, as well as a ceasefire that took hold last week in that war, to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza. Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire. 'We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week,' he told reporters. 'We want to get the hostages out.' Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war. Israel says the war can end only if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. The two sides have shown little sign of a readiness to budge from their entrenched positions. Talk of a 'final proposal' for a ceasefire comes after a horrific Israeli attack at the Al-Baqa cafe on the Gaza seafront on Monday that medical and other officials said killed between 24 and 36 Palestinians, including children. The Israel-Gaza war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians – though experts say this is likely to be an undercount, – displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population and reduced much of the territory to rubble.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Why govt's promise of 'biggest boost to affordable housing in a generation' may be overblown
Angela Rayner is set to announce plans to build 180,000 new social homes in the next decade, as the government seeks to "turn the tide on the housing crisis". It would be six times greater than the number of social homes built in the 10 years up to 2024 - and forms part of a drive to build 300,000 new social and affordable properties by 2035. The plan is backed by a £39bn investment announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in last month's spending review. 2:29 The deputy prime minister called on the social housing sector to "work together to turn the tide of the housing crisis", and said the investment was "the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation". "We are seizing this golden opportunity with both hands to transform this country by building the social and affordable homes we need, so we create a brighter future where families aren't trapped in temporary accommodation and young people are no longer locked out of a secure home," she said. Ms Rayner's target for social and affordable housing is part of a wider long-term plan - also due to be published on Wednesday - setting out how the government will build both more houses and improve housing standards. Here, Sky News looks at what the plan will mean for the country, how it compares to previous programmes, and how it could be affected by the increased cost of construction. 3:17 Crunching the numbers The £39bn 10-year Affordable Homes Programme is an ambitious investment in affordable housing, representing a real terms increase from the previous programme of over £1bn annually. However, claims of the "biggest boost in a generation" may be slightly overblown. When factoring in inflation, the annual investment of £3.9bn falls short of the equivalent £4.5bn annually from 2008 to 2011 under the previous Labour government. This was however a notably short-term uplift, and the sector will welcome the stability of the new settlement which secures funding for 10 years - compared with five years or fewer under previous programmes. The programme sets out to deliver 30,000 affordable homes per year on average, with at least 18,000 of those being for social rent, rather than other tenures such as shared ownership. This would be more than twice the number under the previous programme, which is estimated to have delivered about 8,000 homes annually for social rent by its completion. Similarly, however, it is fewer than were delivered by the previous Labour Affordable Homes Programme, which was over 30,000 a year from 2008 to 2011. A further challenge to the government's goal of a "generational" uplift is the increasing cost of building, meaning they may face diminishing returns on their investment. The previous Affordable Homes Programme initially aimed to deliver 180,000 homes, which was revised down significantly to between 110,000 and 130,000 due to increasing costs and delays. This government can expect to face a similar economic landscape, particularly with an ambition to deliver a greater share of socially rented homes - the most expensive type of affordable housing to build.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
A humiliating day for Keir Starmer in parliament
It has been a month of U-turns for Keir Starmer's Labour government … but none have been quite as dramatic as this. Helen Pidd heads to parliament on the day the Commons is due to vote on the government's flagship welfare bill, amid a furious rebellion among Labour MPs on its proposed disability cuts. She hears from a series of Labour MPs – from those in support of the bill to those against, and those still undecided – after a week in which the government has offered concession after concession to rebels to try to get its legislation over the line. Yet, as political correspondent Kiran Stacey reports, even as the debate started, senior figures in government were worried they might still lose, prompting the biggest concession of all. So where does this leave Keir Starmer's authority only a year into office, and where can his beleaguered government go from here?
