Summary of BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians – January 2019

Israeli affairs continue to receive more BBC coverage than Palestinian affairs. 

During the month of January 2019, twenty-one items relating to Israel and/or the Palestinians appeared on the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page, two of which were carried over from the previous month.

(dates indicate the time period during which the item was promoted on the ‘Middle East’ page)

Three items related to security issues:

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi: Why did Egypt want CBS interview pulled? (4/1/19 to 6/1/19) discussed here

Lebanon arrests US man for crossing illegally from Israel (17/1/19 to 22/1/19) discussed here

Syria war: Israeli jets target Iranian positions around Damascus (21/1/19 to 24/1/19) discussed here

Two items related to aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict:

‘The Gaza blockade is strangling us‘ Mishal Husain (18/12/18 to 2/1/19) TV version discussed here

Hebron: Palestinians denounce Israeli decision to end observer mission (29/1/19 to 31/1/19) discussed here

Four items related to Palestinian affairs:

The Instagrammer who wants to show a different side of Gaza (30/12/18 to 9/1/19) discussed here

Rashida Tlaib wears traditional Palestinian dress to take oath (3/1/19 to 5/1/19)

Five arrested after Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation raided (5/1/19) discussed here

Palestinian Authority removes staff from Gaza-Egypt crossing (7/1/19 to 9/1/19) discussed here

Of the twelve items concerning Israel, two related to anti-Israel campaigns:

orld Para Swimming Championships: Malaysia stripped of hosting 2019 event BBC Sport (27/1/19 to 29/1/19) discussed here and here

Stars urge BBC to ask for Eurovision to be moved out of Israel Mark Savage (30/1/19 to 31/1/19) discussed here

One article concerned Israel’s diplomatic relations:

Israel’s PM Netanyahu signs deals with Chad’s President Deby (20/1/19 to 23/1/19) discussed here

Three reports related to legal/criminal cases in Israel:

Gonen Segev: Israel ex-minister admits spying for Iran (9/1/19 to 11/1/19)

Israel police investigate ‘sex-for-judgeships’ allegations (16/1/19 to 20/1/19)

Israeli teenager charged with killing Palestinian woman in stone attack (24/1/19 to 28/1/19)

Three reports related to the murder of an Israeli citizen in Australia:

Aiia Maasarwe: Israel student killed in Melbourne while on phone with sister (17/1/19)

Aiia Maasarwe: Arrest over killing of Israeli student in Melbourne (18/1/19 to 22/1/19)

Aya Maasarwe: Murdered student’s body flown home from Australia (22/1/19 to 23/1/19)

One item can be categorised as miscellaneous:

Starlings swirl through Israeli skies(2/1/19 to 9/1/19)

One item related to historical subject matter:

Israel to scour Danube in search for Holocaust remains (14/1/19 to 16/1/19)

One item related to a British Jew who had visited Israel:

Inside the hidden world of Britain’s Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews(14/1/19 to 28/1/19)

As has been the case in previous years (see ‘related articles’ below), Israeli affairs once again received more extensive coverage than did Palestinian affairs. 

Related Articles:

Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q4 2017 – part two

 

 

 

 

More from Hadar Sela
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *