A story BBC audiences are unlikely to be told

A person described by the BBC as an 'icon' salutes Hizballah.

In the numerous reports concerning Ahed Tamimi that have been produced by the BBC since last December audiences have seen her described as “a prominent child activist“, a “star on social media”, “a modern-day Joan of Arc“, “a symbol of resistance to Israeli occupation“, “a national icon” and “the new iconic face of Palestinian resistance“.

BBC audiences have also been told that Tamimi is to be seen as “standing up to the reality of Israeli occupation, defending her home with her bare hands” and “standing up to armed soldiers on occupied land” and that her aim is “to resist the occupation“.

It is considerably less likely that BBC audiences will be informed of a video message – aired on a Lebanese TV station – made recently by Ahed Tamimi in which she saluted the head of the terrorist organisation Hizballah, saying:

“To the honorable sheikh, Hassan Nasrallah, I say: Thank you very much. I wish you a happy holiday. His words boosted our morale – not just my morale, but the morale of many people, because I represent the people. I’m not just representing myself, but the people and the cause. This was in support of the entire Palestinian people, not just me. I’d like to salute him, to thank him for his support, and to tell him that he always makes us grow stronger. We all support him and are proud of him.” (translation by MEMRI)

Of course as far as the criminal and terrorist organisation Hizballah is concerned, the whole of Israel is ‘occupied land’ and an ‘entity’ which it aims to ‘obliterate’.

Given her expression of “support” for Nasrallah, obviously the BBC needs to clarify exactly what it means the next time it tells its audiences that Ahed Tamimi ‘resists the occupation’.

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