Well followed and extremely popular channels like CNN and BBC all seem to have said good-bye to established principles of journalism when it comes to Israel’s latest attack on Palestine.
– Uzma Ausaf
Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza has proved to the world that media in the West or in India is no friend of Muslims or even a crusader for justice. Well followed and extremely popular channels like CNN and BBC all seem to have said good-bye to established principles of journalism when it comes to Israel’s latest attack on Palestine. Instead of presenting both sides of the coin to viewers, the channels have been happy to carry forward the propaganda of their respective countries.
Neither channel made an attempt to find out what led to the Hamas attack on Israel. Or to take a critical look on increasing Jewish settlements in Palestine in recent years. They did not talk of common Palestine people being driven out of their age-old homes by Israelis. They were happy to take the claims of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden as facts. Even when Israel bombarded hospitals in Gaza, they were happy to reproduce Israel’s claim that it was Hamas who destroyed the hospital.
The BBC went one step ahead of CNN. When there was a huge rally in London in support of independent state of Palestine, the BBC reported the rally as one in support of Hamas. It was after a social media outcry by many that the BBC issued a brief corrigendum towards the end of a news bulletin, just before the weather forecast.
Closer home our Godi media was busy carrying forward Israel’s propaganda. While many channels sent their correspondents to Israel, nobody felt the need to send someone to Palestine also.
All Prime-Time news bulletins and debates projected Israel as a victim and not as an all-conquering country which had over the years usurped 80 percent of Palestine’s land. It seemed they were playing out Hindutva politics on a global stage with Muslims being the perpetual enemy. Whether correspondents reported from Israel or anchors sat in their studios, the aim was always to show the Hamas inflicting violence on hapless Israelis.
Shockingly even Israel’s newspapers did not support their government as enthusiastically. For example, Harretz asked the bloodbath to be stopped immediately. “A terrible massacre might even be able to justify another terrible massacre if it has a goal other than punishment and vengeance, and if that goal is both legitimate and achievable but that is not the case for the war in the Gaza Strip, which has no clear, realistic purpose and certainly has no answer to the question of what happens on the day after. But if it had a clear purpose, even then there would have to be limits to the devastation. The bloodbath now taking place in Gaza which has only just begun, shows that there are no limits. And in the face of this, it’s impossible to remain silent. This can’t be justified,” reported Harretz.com. Compare this with the shrill voice and words of our anchors. They reduced themselves to being the spokespersons of the government of Israel.
Better than the BBC, CNN and all Indian channels was the work of YouTube influencer Mohammad Hijab. He drew the lens to the fact of the matter and bravely talked of the right of Palestine people. In the face of adversity, he stood his ground and asked the Western media which was crying itself hoarse after Hamas attack on October 7 on Israel to also criticize Israel’s onslaught on the innocent in Gaza. He drew attention to the wounded, the dead and the ruined in Gaza like nobody else. One wishes these popular international and Indian channels had shown similar guts and drive for truth.
