BBC Supporting Incitement? Israeli Prime Minister Blasts For Misleading Headline
By JNS.orgJune 20, 2017
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Following complaints by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a BBC headline on the recent Palestinian terror attacks in Jerusalem, the British news organization recanted and apologized.
The Islamic State and Hamas terror groups both claimed responsibility for Friday's deadly attack in Jerusalem's Old City, carried out by three Palestinian terrorists, which killed Israeli Border Police Staff Sgt. Major Hadas Malka, 23, at Damascus Gate, and left two others injured.
The terrorists were killed by security services. Malka was stabbed to death.
The BBC's original headline and tweet read, "Three Palestinians killed after deadly stabbing in Jerusalem," which omitted the fact that it occurred in response to the fatal stabbing of an Israeli police officer.
Netanyahu called on Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to censure the BBC for the misleading headline. The Israeli embassy in London filed a complaint, citing the network's "false reports" and "refusal to use the word terror when it comes to attacks on Israeli citizens."
Following the complaint, the BBC removed the offending tweet and changed the article headline to, "Israeli policewoman stabbed to death in Jerusalem."
"We accept that our original headline did not appropriately reflect the nature of the events and subsequently changed it. Whilst there was no intention to mislead our audiences, we regret any offense caused," the BBC said in a statement.
Also expressing outrage over the BBC headline choice was President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who tweeted, "You mean after they stabbed a female Israeli police officer to death... right? This is as close to being misleading as possible," Trump Jr. replied.
"Need a new term for this nonsense. Sort of the opposite of victim blaming. How about Culprit Coddling? Maybe Criminal Cozying? Thoughts???," he added in a second tweet.
Despite Palestinian assurances to US President Donald Trump's administration not to incite support for terror, newspapers associated with the ruling Fatah faction in the Palestinian Authority have joined with official spokespersons from several Palestinian ministries in praising the three terrorists who murdered Malka
"The smell of blood will continue to surround the holy and occupied city of Jerusalem until dawn. There are young people that wanted to say a clear 'No!' to the occupation in their way," declared an editorial in the official PA daily Al-Hayat-Al-Jadida, in a translation made available by the Israeli watchdog Palestinian Media Watch.
The PA Ministry of Health hailed the three terrorists as "martyrs."
"Three young people were shot by occupation forces and died as Martyrs," a statement from the ministry said, before demanding "that the international community seriously examine providing international defense to the defenseless Palestinian people."
A spokesman for Fatah, which is led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, blamed the international community for "encouraging" Israel to commit "crimes" such as the shooting of the three terrorists after they stabbed Hadas Malka.
"The silence of the international community in light of the continuation of the occupation and its crimes, which have not stopped for even one moment, encourages Israel to permit the spilling of Palestinian blood. The despicable crime that was committed today in cold blood and claimed the lives of three Palestinians is nothing but proof of that," Osama Al-Qawasmi declared.
Leading PA officials including Abbas have routinely assured US President Donald Trump and his colleagues that they reject terrorism and oppose incitement.
"Mr. President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace," Abbas told Trump during their meeting at the White House in May.
Originally published at JNS - reposted with permission.