Despite the attacks of the pro-Israel lobby on the BBC it is in fact a wholeheartedly pro-Israel organisation and this is shown graphically through its use of Israeli sources in preference to Palestinian ones, a new research report shows. The refusal of the BBC to broadcast the recent Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza was but one episode among many. Senior Middle East reporter Jeremy Bowen was recently castigated by his bosses for sounding pro-Palestinian. What they mean is he reports the truth and tries to convey something of the suffering of the people in Gaza. More at the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/26/bbc-anti-israel-bias

Host: Give for Gaza- FUNdraising for the DEC Type: Music/Arts - Concert Network: Global Start Time: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 8:00pm End Time: Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 2:00am Location: Club Academy, UMSU Street: Oxford road City/Town: Manchester, United Kingdom "AUDIO UPRISING" Supporting Children in conflict week All proceeds to the DEC appeal for Gaza http://www.dec.org.uk/ Recommended donations £4 Educate and Entertain yourself with fresh beats and fresh rhymes from acclaimed rapper and poet Lowkey in Manchester University's Club Academy with all proceeds going to the war torn people of Gaza. The night will be a colourful soiree of reggae, dancehall, dubstep and hip hop from some of Britain and Manchester's top musicians. LOWKEY (live) http://www.myspace.com/lowkeyuk KEN EVIL http://www.myspace.com/ken_evil LONGSHOT – SIR ROBIN & LOUIS http://www.myspace.com/longshotsoundsystem DOM – BLOOD AND FIRE http://www.bloodandfire.co.uk/ TANANTE (liv...

Here's the latest from Qatar Airways's PR people in London on the controversy surrounding their advertising on the pro-Israeli Sky News that refuses to show the Disasters Emergency Committee humanitarian appeal for Gaza. See the original story on Gaza Solidarity here : Hi Gary, Sorry I missed you call. As discussed, I have forwarded your email to Qatar Airways head office in Doha, and advised that you are still seeking a response to your query. Regards, Louise Hopefully we'll get something next week. The following letter was emailed to the editor of the english-language Gulf Times in Qatar to see if they can speed things up a bit. For the attention of the editor, Gulf Times: Dear editor, I am a journalist based in London writing a story on the relationship between Qatar Airways and Sky News. Last week the airline brought into service a new plane which it named “Gaza” as an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza. At the same time Qatar Airways is sponsoring the weather...

Well, just to keep everyone up-to-date on the Qatar Airways story , its public relations firm in the UK has promised to get back to us in a day or two regarding the sponsorship deal on Sky News's weather segment. Louise Farrell of KTA PR was unable to answer any of the questions put to her and said she would have to get in touch with Doha first. Suffice to say we haven't heard from the media buyers for Qatar Airways, Starcom, but as soon as we get word from the chief exec we will give them a ring to see if they are worried about losing the account given the embarrassment they will have caused both the client and its customers in the Middle East and beyond, following the naming of the airlines latest addition to its fleet 'Gaza' as a gesture of humanitarian solidarity .

Media Workers Against the War www.mwaw.net In this mailing: 1. MWAW supporters meeting on Saturday 2. GIG 4 GAZA March 12 3. The Trainer - a play about terror 1. MWAW supporters meeting on Saturday March 7 There will be a meeting for all Media Workers Against the War supporters to discuss priorities and campaigning: Agenda items include: Gaza rally, website redesign, Afghanistan, Islamophobia... Saturday March 7, 11am – 1pm Lucas Arms Gray's Inn Road London WC1X 8QZ (opposite NUJ headquarters) All welcome! More info: tel 07799 771 165 2. GIG 4 GAZA BBC staff who were refused permission by their management to fund-raise in the BBC bar are holding this event in collaboration with Kings College students Featuring Low-Key, Jeremy Hardy, Chris T-T, Nizar Al Issa, Sandy Walsh, Somaye and others Thursday March 12 7pm Tutu's bar, King's College, Surrey Street, WC2R 2NS Tickets £8/£6 from http://tinyurl.com/b42845 More details: 07981 125 918 3. The Trainer - a play By David...

As promised in an earlier posting Gaza Solidarity got in touch with both Qatar Airways and Starcom , its media buyer/planner in the UK, with regards the ad spend of the airline on the Sky News channel. Gaza Solidarity recently reported that Qatar Airways named the latest addition to its fleet of aircraft 'Gaza' in an act of humanitarian solidarity. This obviously doesn't sit very well with the infamous decision of the pro-Israel Murdoch-owned Sky TV and its right-wing 'news' channel not to broadcast the DEC appeal for Gaza. We sent the following question to the airline: I would like to ask the CEO, Mr Al Baker, about Qatar Airways's advertising, through its sponsorship of the weather segment, on Sky News. The airline recently brought into service a Boeing 777 which it named 'Gaza' in solidarity with the suffering people there. Given this, why is the airline advertising on a station that refuses to show a humanitarian appeal for Gaza? We sent the followi...

Hopefully there aren't too many watchers of Sky TV out there but if you have happened upon their output doing your channel hopping exercises you might have come across sponsorship advertising from Qatar Airways. I'm sure this is a valuable advertiser for Sky so the ad sales bosses should be sweating over the recent refusal to show the Disasters Emergency Appeal for Gaza. Why? Because Qatar Airways buys advertising with Sky. Sure, the government of Qatar and its national carrier may well hope to play a duplicitous game - wearing their pro-Palestine sentiment on their sleeves at home but carrying on in the same old way abroad, and hope their own population doesn't notice. But if the people of Qatar knew that their national airline was a sponsor of this pro-Israeli channel you would expect it to cause outrage despite the undemocratic nature of that state. In fact just this week Qatar Airways brought into service its second Boeing 777, and guess what the plane has been called? ...

So the BBC was right not to give into 'external pressure' says Sir Micheal. But it's alright to ingratiate, and fatten, yourself with a bunch of businessmen in Cardiff is it? Someone should remind this knight of the realm that those 40,000 people who brought external pressure to bear by complaining are the people that pay his salary. Sir Michael, I'm sure a university somewhere in the country would be only too happy to invite you to come and have lunch and explain your decision to a more representative gathering of citizens. From the Telegraph Sir Michael Lyons told businessmen and women that the BBC faced "undue external pressure" over its refusal to show the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal. Speaking to the Cardiff Business Club, he said he had supported director-general Mark Thompson's decision despite "intense controversy".

From Tehran Times The Pacific Quay sit-in was widely reported across the Scottish media. But on the day itself BBC Scotland journalists were initially asked not to film the demonstrators. When one member of staff did shoot footage on a hand-held camera, they were asked not to upload the film onto the BBC's computers , where it could be accessed by other parts of the corporation. When the member of staff eventually did so, the footage was used by BBC News 24, a source said. After a period of about an hour and half, a full film crew arrived and shot footage of the demonstration. Peter Murray, deputy leader of the National Union of Journalists' BBC Scotland branch, said the union had received complaints about the incident which it had passed to management. more

Gaza appeal - BBC finds BBC not guilty BBC Trust decides BBC director general Mark Thompson did nothing wrong by not showing the DEC humanitarian appeal for Gaza, indeed he had "acted correctly throughout". Notwithstanding the fact that at the last count the BBC has received 40,000 complaints - was anyone really expecting the trust to come out with anything else? But journalists and other staff at the Beeb are not taking it lying down. They launched a petition against Thompson. From Media Workers Against the War BBC workers petition Thompson on Gaza appeal Following the decision by BBC Trust yesterday to back Thompson on his refusal to broadast the DEC Gaza aid appeal, a petition signed by almost 400 staff was handed to the director general’s office in White City today (Friday Feb 20) at 13.00. A copy of the petition was also be simultaneously delivered to the BBC Trust in Marylebone High Street. The petition, in part, states: We strongly disagree with your assessment about ...

From Press TV Ireland BBC advisor quits over Gaza appeal A member of the BBC advisory panel on charity has resigned in protest to the broadcaster's decision not to air a Gaza crisis appeal. Niaz Alam, who was appointed to the BBC's Charity Appeals Advisory Committee in 2004, said in his resignation letter that he "strongly believed the BBC had made the wrong decision" in refusing to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee's appeal for Gaza, the British Third Sector reported. According to Alam, the BBC had done great harm to its reputation by ignoring the DEC view that the situation in Gaza was critical and warranted an emergency appeal. more

From the Aberdeen Press & Journal A GROUP gathered outside the Aberdeen offices of the BBC yesterday to protest at the organisation’s refusal to screen an aid appeal for Gaza. John Connon, 53, is a council worker from Garthdee, and a member of Stop the War Coalition. He said: “No one will come out and talk to us about the decision so we have been forced to stay outside and shout. “What we are saying is that their decision not to show the appeal to protect their impartiality is unprecedented. “We are threatening to continue with the protest at another time if need be.” A BBC spokeswoman said: “We never comment on demonstrations of any kind but our reasons on the DEC decision remain. “We are aware that others will feel differently, however we continue not to sacrifice our impartiality.” The appeal was screened by Five, ITV, and Channel Four on January 22.

From M&C Middle East The reports also said Israeli warships had opened fire on the ship after it entered Palestinian territorial waters. Organizer Maan Bashour told Deustche Presse-Agentur dpa, that contact was lost with the ship after the Israeli soldiers stormed the vessel off the Gaza coast. 'I hold the Israelis responsible for the safety of the people on board the ship,' he said. On Wednesday, Israeli gunboats fired at the ship 20 miles off the coast of Gaza, but the crew and passengers on board decided to continue their trip despite the threats. From agencies "They [Israeli navy] are opening fire towards the vessel ... there are Israeli soldiers who have actually boarded the vessel," said Salam Khoder, an Al Jazeera correspondent on board the ship. "Three of them are pointing their weapons at us ... They are beating those on the vessel, they are beating and kicking us," Khoder said in a frantic voice before the telephone interview was terminated. A...

So Carol Thatcher doesn't think there is anything wrong with using racist language to describe an 'international black tennis player'. And now the right-wing media are up in arms to defend the right of racists to be openly racist - this is the meaning behind their attacks on 'political correctness' at the BBC. It is really an attack on anti-racism. And this is all taking place in a country that is fond of occupying Arab and Muslim countries in the name of liberalism and civilisation. Please don't make me laugh. The royal scrounger and racist yob Prince Harry helped to open the door for Thatcher with his own racist diatribe against the 'natives'. Not too surprising from the Windsor given the royal family sells a doll modeled on the same racist caricature Thatcher likes at their Sandringham estate. Only a few days ago the same media was asking if Britain would ever elect its own Obama. Given the establishment in this country and their fostering of the mo...

The real question is why isn't the UN working with the government - Hamas in this case - to deliver the aid. Palestinians rely on UN relief but it doesn't mean they have to give up their sovereign right to run their own affairs. The western media reports seem to imply that Hamas is an entitiy beyond the civilian population when in fact they are of course one and the same, like all genuine resistance movements. A UN spokesman said policemen raided a UN warehouse on Tuesday after officials refused to hand over the aid to a Hamas-controlled ministry. From the BBC The UN said it was the first time its aid had been confiscated by Hamas. It condemned the action and demanded the goods be immediately returned. Hamas denied its men had taken any aid. UN spokesman Christopher Gunness said Hamas police took 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels. The Hamas Social Affairs Minister in Gaza, Ahmed al-Kurd, denied that members of the Islamist movement had removed aid from a UN building. How...

Today: Gaza protest at BBC in Aberdeen About 25 protestors gathered outside BBC Scotland's Aberdeen office over a decision by the corporation not to air an aid appeal for the people of Gaza. On Friday in Reading, south-east England, the Evening Post reports: BBC boss greeted by protesters over Gaza By Chine Mbubaegbu 4/ 2/2009 Protesters angry about the BBC’s decision not to air a Gaza appeal staged a demonstration when the broadcaster’s director general visited Caversham on Friday. Beeb boss Mark Thompson was in Reading to open a new operations room at BBC Monitoring in Peppard Road.

As of 27 Jan over £1m has been raised through the Disasters Emergency Committee. Keep giving. From Student - apparently the UK's oldest student newspaper BBC: Blind Blundering Controversy The Red Cross, and the other 13 humanitarian agencies that the DEC umbrella group unites, currently operating in response to the crippling humanitarian disaster in Gaza, can better judge whether the aid will get through than a sedate corporate ‘fat cat’ sitting safely in a plush London office. In fact Mark Thompson may be surprised to note that since the appeal launched, CARE has distributed fresh food, medical supplies, heaters, blankets and plastic sheeting to hospitals, families and feeding centres in Gaza, reaching more than 160,000 people; Save the Children have reached 44,000 people, delivering food (packages that are enough to feed a family of 7 for two weeks), water, baby kits - with thousands of nappies and hygiene kits. Oxfam are providing drinking water to 20,000 households per day an...

One 'militant' killed apparently. From Radio Netherlands Worldwide Palestinian killed in Israeli Gaza strikes Israel has launched a number of attacks on the Gaza Strip. In one, a Palestinian was killed when the car he shared with other men, all said to be members of a small radical group, was targetted in southern Gaza. A Hamas complex in Gaza City and tunnels near the border with Egypt were also hit.

From the Western Morning News In essence an admission of guilt by the Israeli state. THE family of a Westcountry film-maker shot by the Israeli army have accepted a settlement from the country's government. James Miller, 34, from Braunton, North Devon, was killed in Rafah in the Gaza Strip in May 2003 while working on a documentary for the American HBO network. The 34-year-old father-of-two was shot in the neck by an Israeli soldier despite carrying a white flag and wearing a helmet which clearly identified him as a television cameraman. In 2006, an inquest jury in London ruled he had been murdered.

From the guardian.co.uk Two Gaza residents are using legal threats to try to get the BBC to lift its ban on broadcasting humanitarian aid appeal for victims of the recent conflict. Clerkenwell-based law firm Hickman & Rose has written a 23-page letter to the BBC seeking to take the corporation to a judicial review unless it airs the Disasters Emergency Committee film. The letter, headed "Legal challenge to the decision not to broadcast the DEC appeal", has been sent on behalf of three people, two of whom are named as residents of Gaza. The letter asserts that the BBC decision - made by the director general, Mark Thompson, and top executives - was "irrational or otherwise unlawful" and says it breached the European convention on human rights. "We have been instructed to write a letter of claim and we are awaiting a substantive response," said a spokeswoman for the law firm. The letter derailed the BBC Trust's fast-track investigation into the co...