The BBC Four’s ‘Storyville’ series – which describes itself as “showcasing the best in international documentaries” – has featured several Israel related films in its past seasons:
2013/14 season: “The Law In These Parts“, “The Village that Fought Back: Five Broken Cameras” (discussed here), “The Gatekeepers” (discussed here).
2015/16 season: “The Six Day War: Censored Voices” (discussed here)
On December 4th at 22:00 UK time, ‘Storyville’ will air a film titled “Forever Pure – Football and Racism in Jerusalem” which is described in the synopsis as follows:
“Documentary which follows events at Israel’s most notorious football club. Beitar Jerusalem FC is the most popular team in Israel and the only club in the Premier League never to sign an Arab player. Midway through a season the club’s owner, Russian-Israeli oligarch Arcadi Gaydamak, brought in two Muslim players from Chechnya in a secretive transfer deal that triggered the most racist campaign in Israeli sport and sent the club spiralling out of control.
Forever Pure follows the famous football club through the tumultuous season, as power, money and politics fuel a crisis and shows how racism is destroying both the team and society from within.” [emphasis added]
Longtime readers will not be surprised by the BBC’s decision to showcase such an allegation: the actions of a specific group of hooligans at a specific football club have long been employed by various BBC journalists to promote sweeping notions of ‘racist Israel’.
The BBC, football racism and Israel
Obsession: four BBC ‘Beitar’ articles in under a week
BBC binge reporting on Beitar comes to abrupt halt
In which the BBC ignores prejudice in Israeli football
Comparing BBC reporting on English and Israeli football hooligans
