I approached this programme (uploaded by theworldvideos) with misgivings, since it was not only made by Al Beeb, but has been tweeted by my local Palestine Solidarity Campaign group, who've asked their followers to request a repeat. It's a documentary showing the reactions of one of their presenters, Reya El-Salahi, born to a Jewish mother and a Muslim father, on her first visit to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
To be honest, I've only looked at one of the videos, the one to which the local PSC linked on Twitter. I thought the presenter, of whom I've never previously heard, likeable and honest but politically unsophisticated. She's obviously been well-drilled in BBC-speak ("militants" instead of terrorists). I sighed at the part where she denounced the gender segregation at the Western Wall, when she'll certainly find the same at the Al Aqsa mosque, which was to offend her for different reasons - they wouldn't let her in. She didn't think much of the separation wall; it's not pretty, of course (though despite the impression given it's not a solid structure "for hundreds of miles), but then neither is suicide bombing. Overall, however, I didn't find the segment I watched overly biased one way or the other. I was left wondering "where's the sting in the tail?"
Reya El-Salahi has also blogged about her experiences here
Biased to begin with;
ReplyDeleteThey don't even ask her Dad his views but her mother doesn't support a Jewish state but says it should be "secular." Does she think the same of all of the Arab or Islamic republics/Kingdoms none of which are secular?
Her brother was (is?) a pro-Paletinian activist.
I guess that's what passes as neutrality in modern UK media.
The dangerous thing about shows like this is that the European media broadcasts "options" for Israel something they never do about, say, Pakistan.
I missed all that, Anon. Thanks for exposing it.
ReplyDelete