The BBC News website headline concerning a terror attack in Jerusalem that caused considerable controversy last month was further criticised by a former BBC chairman during a debate in the House of Lords on July 5th.
Lord Grade of Yarmouth said:
“On 16 June two Palestinians, unprovoked, attacked Israeli police officers in Jerusalem with guns and knives, while a third stabbed to death Border Police Staff Sergeant Hadas Malka, aged 23. The BBC’s headline on its news website was: “Three Palestinians killed after deadly stabbing in Jerusalem”. The BBC eventually changed its headline to: “Israeli policewoman stabbed to death in Jerusalem”. The BBC accepted its mistake and subsequently changed it. Of course, I am not accusing BBC journalists of anti-Semitism but this example demonstrates the drip-drip effect of unqualified, uncontextualised singling out of Israel for criticism. If the BBC can get this wrong, it is little wonder that Israel finds it so hard to put aside the idea that some critics are motivated by something more sinister than political commentary.”
Lord Grade previously criticised the BBC’s coverage of Palestinian terror attacks in 2015, including another headline which he described as being “misleading and counter-factual”.
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