BBC angers Palestinian group over 'biased coverage'

Ma'an - A Palestinian group expressed "deep apprehension and anger" Tuesday, over what it said was "direct bias" language and reporting from the UK's BBC news, in its coverage on the Israeli attack on an aid convoy en route to Gaza.

The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), was not the only party concerned with world coverage of the incident, with Sylvain Cypel at France's Le Monde noting that in the United States, the coverage was "relegated to the back, overturned by new from the oil wells that continue to spill petrol into the Gulf of Mexico."

US papers that did cover the events prominently, Cypel said, "were more favorable to the Israeli side." MSNBC's correspondant, the report continued "went into extensive detail on the Israeli theory, that the boats' passengers had been the aggressors," but did not a hint of skepticism around the legality of the raid in international waters.

PRC's criticism of BBC coverage were similar, saying that in "most of its coverage BBC depended on Israeli sources whilst the Palestinian side has been ignored."

The organization said a unit had monitored the BBC coverage closely, noting that the site relied on the testimonial of Danny Ayalon, Israeli deputy foreign minister, and running with his account of the attack, that the intent of the Flotilla "organizers was violent."

In the morning, evening and night broadcasts of news on the incident, PRC said, "Spokespersons and Israeli officials were given a chance to justify the Israeli attack." The organization asked if it was not BBC's duty to get both sides to a story, and wondered where Flotilla organizers, Palestinians or other activists were in the coverage.

The organization called on the BBC to "investigate the Israeli positions over the past week and compare it with what happened" on the Flotilla, alleging that the Israeli propaganda had started weeks ago.

"With so many different sources of information from governments to NGOs, the BBC finds it morally and journalistically appropriate to provide justifications of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) for its unprovoked crime. The BBC is alone in quoting the IDF that the Flotilla had violent intentions and humanitarian personnel on board were carrying knives, guns and fired shots," a statement from the PRC said.

According to the group, an official complaint was filed with the BBC, where it outlined the accusations listed above. A statement from PRC said a station spokesperson responded that the BBC was "unable to respond as we have not been given the courtesy of detailed evidence of any accusation."