BBC News report on terror stabbing omits Hamas statement of support

On April 8th the BBC News website ran a report under the typically ‘last-first’ phrased headline “Palestinian killed after stabbing two Israeli soldiers“. Readers can gather that at least part of the information provided in the article was gleaned from the local media:Pigua 8 4 report final

“The soldiers were members of the Israeli military’s Home Front Command and had been sitting inside an ambulance placed on standby at the Sinjil junction during Passover, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.”

Hence it is notable that the paragraph below from the Ha’aretz report obviously read by the writer of this article was not deemed ‘need to know’ information for BBC audiences.

“Qatar-based Hamas spokesman Husam Bardan said that the group welcomed the stabbing attack, saying that it was a natural response to Israel’s policy of occupation. Bardan said that Israel only understands force and “the language of terror attacks.” He called on the Palestinian Authority to immediately cease security cooperation with Israel and to give freedom to opposition to the occupation in the West Bank.”

On the other hand, the writer of the BBC report did find it necessary to devote three of its thirteen paragraphs, along with the caption to its main illustrative photograph, to the response of an Israeli minister.

“An Israeli minister praised the wounded soldier for shooting rather than arresting the assailant”

“Outgoing Economy Minister Naftali Bennett of the nationalist Jewish Home party praised the actions of the wounded soldier.

“Our enemies have only one goal: to hurt as many Jews as they can. I congratulate the security forces who killed the terrorist. This must be the fate of anyone who hurts innocent Jews.”

“A serious incident must end this way and not with dreams of liberation from jail.””

The article’s final paragraph is devoted to partial description of an earlier incident which the BBC chose not to report at the time.

“Last Thursday, an Israeli soldier was stabbed by a Palestinian man during a security operation near the West Bank settlement of Oranit. The soldier suffered light wounds, while the assailant was arrested.”

Readers are not informed that the “security operation” was in fact the arrest of Palestinians trying to illegally traverse the anti-terrorist fence or that Hamas praised that attack too.

“The incident occurred when IDF Paratrooper forces approached the security fence in the area of Oranit, where a group of 6-8 Palestinian illegal aliens was attempting to cross into Israel through the fence. One of the Palestinians pounced on one of the soldiers and stabbed him. Security forces arrested the assailant, as well as the other Palestinians.

The Hamas terrorist group praised the stabbing attack in Shomron. A statement issued by the group said that the attack underscores the determination of the Palestinian people to continue its path of resistance, despite all the obstacles and difficulties.”

Having given multi-platform amplification just a week ago to Khaled Masha’al’s whitewashing of Hamas – including the claim that its activities are “certainly not terrorism” – it is sadly not surprising to see that the BBC decided to refrain from reporting his colleague’s praise and support for this incident and others. 

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