BBC Olympic Coverage Declares East Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital
July 19, 2012 13:34 by Simon PloskerThe BBC Sport website’s coverage of the forthcoming London Olympic games features country profiles of all of the competing nations. Every other country profile includes a listed capital city. All except for Israel. This even includes “Palestine” where the BBC takes enormous liberties with its list of facts.
UPDATE ON PAGE 2: BBC RESPONDS AND AMENDS ITS WEBSITE
According to the BBC, “East Jerusalem” is the capital of Palestine.
So if the BBC were to be consistent, it would presumably state (also inaccurately) that Israel’s capital is “West Jerusalem”. Wrong.
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The BBC’s Olympic country profile for Israel simply fails at all to include a listed capital city. This despite the inclusion of Jerusalem on the map of Israel. While the only partially-recognized entity of “Palestine” has a listed capital that isn’t even under its sovereign control, the very real and recognized state of Israel has no capital despite being sovereign over the entire city of Jerusalem.
“Palestine” has been recognized as a member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) since 1986, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1995. That the BBC features Palestine is therefore legitimate within this context. However, while the BBC could argue that Jerusalem is not recognized as Israel’s capital by many in the international community, there is simply no excuse for distorting reality and appointing part of Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital city. Or is this just further evidence that the BBC shares the dreams of the Palestinians?
The omission of Israel’s capital has irked the Israeli government, prompting Mark Regev, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman, to write the following letter to the BBC’s Jerusalem bureau:
Read the Israeli letter and the rest of this article on Page 2
A Westwood
5:06 pm
Jul 22, 2012
Come one BBC, behave yourself! This is a time to celebrate a coming together of countries in a united activity, hence the symbol of the Olympic games………the integrated circle. Let’s see the games as the symbol of integration, not division.
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Joseph
11:44 pm
Jul 24, 2012
BBC, BOZOS, BUCKETHEADS AND CLOWNS.
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Joseph
11:47 pm
Jul 24, 2012
Yeah, I heard the BBC wanted to call the capitol of England WEST BERLIN!! LOL!
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Sylvie Schapira
5:37 pm
Jul 22, 2012
I love the comment about having all the foreign embassies being moved to Beersheva. I second that proposal. Nice and hot in the summer for them. Noticed on the BBC description that Israel has two languages: Hebrew and Arabic, whereas ‘Palestine’ (where is that?) only has Arabic. Does that mean that the ‘Palestinians’ do not want to learn the language of their nearest neighbours…..for some reason?
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Oleg
4:57 pm
Jul 25, 2012
It means that there will no Jews in future “Palestinian” state. No Jews – no Hebrew.
If I were Israeli politician I would propose two options for embassies located in T-A: moving to J-m or going far away. For my opinion B-Sheva is too big for them, Shderot or Ashkelon are the best choice. The reason – T-A needs more place for his own inhabitants because it is not a capital city.
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Rachel
6:20 pm
Jul 25, 2012
I don’t think moving the emnbassies in an other city or even in Jerusalem has anything to do with the fact that Jerusalem has always been the capital of Israel. All civiliazed countries recognize that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of the Jewish State. Period. Arabs will have to live with it.
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La BBC le da Jerusalem a los árabes. (En Breitbart) « La Reina de la Noche
5:43 pm
Jul 22, 2012
[...] BBC, ever mindful of British obligations to their swelling Muslim population, decided on its BBC Sport website to name the capital of every country participating in the London Olympic [...]
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Rachel
6:06 pm
Jul 22, 2012
That shows that BBC has no clue with the current events and should be more educated before showing worldwide its ignorance. The facts are that Palestinians are a people not a country, You can’t have a capital without a country! duh… !!! Jerusalem has always known to be the capital of Israel. BBS = BS
BBS is rated as a non-reliable and unbalanced news agency – to my view and to many others.
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Aron Nakar
7:59 pm
Jul 22, 2012
What else do you expect from ther shameless BBC, forever living in it’s illusionary, twisted and dogmatic world and expecting eveyone to subsidise their pathetic existence??
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Schaschlik « abseits vom mainstream – heplev
10:50 pm
Jul 22, 2012
[...] Das einzige Land ohne Hauptstadt ist – Israel. (Man kann ja auch mal Demenz vermuten…) – Dafür hat „Palästina“ – also ein Staat, den es noch gar nicht gibt – eine Hauptstadt: „Ostjerusalem“! – [...]
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David
11:14 pm
Jul 22, 2012
THE BBC SHOULD BE BANNED FROM REPORTING FROM ISRAEL UNTIL THEY RECOGNIZE ISRAEL’S CAPITAL CORRECTLY. AS FOR “PALESTINE” , THERE IS NO SUCH CREATURE AND THEREFORE NO CAPITAL, YOUR WISHFUL THINKING WILL NEVER BECOME REALITY.
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Dan
1:55 am
Jul 23, 2012
The opening ceremony of the Olympics takes place on the day of the Jewish calender, the 9th of Av, on which Jews have, for two thousand years and more, commemorated the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital (built by King Solomon and rebuilt by Herod). The Babylonians and later the Romans denied the Jews their capital. The Jews are here, sovereign in Jerusalem. The Babylonians and Romans are long gone. If the BBC would like to replace them, the BBC will have the same fate.
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Bob Costas to “Call Out” IOC Over Rejecting Minute of Silence at Olympics | The Conservative Papers
3:15 am
Jul 23, 2012
[...] as the capital of Palestine, while refusing to identify any capital city for Israel. An HonestReporting critique gives the Beeb a gold medal for delegitimizing Jewish ties to [...]
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BBC Still Won’t Call Jerusalem “Israel’s Capital” | Blogs about Israel aggregation
12:48 pm
Jul 23, 2012
[...] Jerusalem can’t get no satisfaction from the BBC. After the Beeb’s Olympic web site identified “East Jerusalem” as the capital of Palestine while not labeling any [...]
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Schaschlik « abseits vom mainstream – heplev
3:04 pm
Jul 23, 2012
[...] Land ohne Hauptstadt ist – Israel. (Man kann ja auch mal Demenz vermuten…) – Dafür hat „Palästina“ – also ein Staat, den es noch gar nicht gibt – eine Hauptstadt: [...]
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harry
12:08 am
Jul 24, 2012
das apittal von Israel ist Jerusalem! Feshteiinze bitter.
Humaniteit is feel beser mit das haupsthaat jerusalem mit deir juden un das is von 3500 yaren zeruch.
bitter hoben zei nich kanei jalousie. die kristn volk und musulmanishe kumnt von the judishe religie gooten taag!
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UPDATE – Fight Over BBC Olympic Coverage Intensifies | Blogs about Israel aggregation
3:33 pm
Jul 23, 2012
[...] For detailed information on the BBC’s Olympic coverage, see HR’s last communique, BBC Olympic Coverage Declares East Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital. [...]
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paul bogdonov
6:30 pm
Jul 23, 2012
Maybe the BBC could hook up with the UN to form a new body that doesn’t know it’s asshole from first base.
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george flesh
9:11 pm
Jul 23, 2012
text of letter to BBC:
Your website describes Jerusalem as the “Seat of Government” of Israel. This would be fine if you would also describe London as the Seat of Government of Great Britain and Washington as the Seat of Government of the United States. However, Washington and London are described as capitals. Therefore, Jerusalem should be described the same way. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since the founding of the state in 1948; it was also the capital of ancient Israel long before Great Britain existed. Apparently your staff is unaware of this.
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David
5:17 am
Jul 24, 2012
The BBC is well aware of the facts, their anti-semitic view of everything to do with Jews and Israel camouflages their ability to report in an objective and truthful manner.
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joseph
7:14 am
Jul 24, 2012
BBC today and England in general are antisemitic entities infected by arabs agenda. thir lfe spand is no longer assured. They may not exist another 100 of years.
Israel Hi !
I do not expect from them any common sense or decency.
Stupidity rules !!!!
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Dan Martin
9:44 pm
Jul 24, 2012
Unfortunately, many of the comments by fervent supporters of Israel have been emotional — even hysterical, denunciations of British anti-semitism and bias against Israel. I am very disappointed with these bloggers, who are almost as ignorant as the anti-semites. They may forget what sacrifices Britain made to stand against the Nazi threat; they seem to be unaware that there were many Brits who helped the Yishuv in the Mandate years. They have obviously forgotten Orde Wingate — I will not explain, let them look him up and read his heroic history. They have forgotten that many Jews had the privilege of being able to fight against the Nazis by enlisting in the British forces. More later.
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David
11:46 pm
Jul 24, 2012
Big deal, you have named a few instances of British support for Jews which is overwhelmingly wiped out by the past and recent overwhelming support and interaction with Israel’s enemies, namely the arab countries that surround Israel.
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UPDATE – Fight Over BBC Olympic Coverage Intensifies | The Conservative Papers
9:39 am
Jul 25, 2012
[...] For detailed information on the BBC’s Olympic coverage, see HR’s last communique, BBC Olympic Coverage Declares East Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital. [...]
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Sylvie Schapira
4:46 pm
Jul 25, 2012
Dan Martin makes an important point. We must endeavour not to react emotionally to all the hatred, ignorance, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism etc., that floods our daily lives. However, in spite of your (correct point) about the British fighting the Nazis, and Orde Wingate, I would suggest that you read about the British refusing to allow the Jews to carry arms (whereas the Arabs could) prior to 1948 which is why Jews who could speak good English pretending to be ‘Tommies’ were able to ‘obtain’ British guns from under their noses; and the British ‘encouraging’ Arabs from other Arab countries, including others from Turkey, the Balkans and elsewhere to go to Palestine. British duplicity!
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Sylvie Schapira
4:57 pm
Jul 25, 2012
Just received this: Please watch – where Arabs come from, right out of the mouths of Hamas! Palestine? Ancient Roman name to punish the Jews for the revolt against the mighty Roman Empire. Nothing to do with Arabs whatever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CbuM91PeSOs
–
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Auseinandersetzung um Olympia-Berichterstattung der BBC nimmt an Schärfe zu « Medien BackSpin
8:33 pm
Jul 25, 2012
[...] Berichterstattung der BBC kann man im letzten Kommuniqué von HonestReporting nachlesen: Die Berichterstattung der BBC zu Olympia deklariert Ostjerusalem als palästinensische Hauptstadt [In [...]
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