BBC Watch prompts correction to error on Israeli elections

BBC audiences were originally told that elections 'had to be held' by last month.

On December 24th the BBC News website published a report titled “Israel sets date for elections“.

“Israel is to hold a general election in April, the ruling coalition has said.

The political partners decided to call the poll after failing to resolve a dispute over a draft conscription bill for ultra-Orthodox Jews. […]

The ruling coalition was recently reduced to holding a one-seat majority in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) after the then-defence minister resigned in protest over what he said was a weak approach towards dealing with attacks from Gaza, the Palestinian enclave bordering Israel.

By Sunday night it was clear the government faced collapse after ultra-Orthodox parties threatened to withdraw over the draft conscription bill.”

So far so good. However readers were then told that “[e]lections had to be held by November this year”. 

Coming in an article published in 2018, readers would obviously understand “November this year” to mean November 2018 – i.e. last month.

In fact the next elections were due to be held by November 2019.

BBC Watch contacted the BBC News website to request a correction and although no acknowledgement was received, the article was amended several hours later.

Amended version

 

  

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