BBC Sorry For Calling Jerusalem Israel’s Capital
June 15, 2007 18:33 by BackSpin Editor
“The BBC apologized this week for referring to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and promised not to repeat ‘the mistake,’ following a complaint by four British organizations,” reports Jpost.
Arab Media Watch, Muslim Public Affairs Committee, Friends of Al-Aksa and the Institute of Islamic Political Thought sent a joint complaint to the BBC after a presenter on its Football Focus program mentioned that Jerusalem was Israel’s capital and “historic soul.”
In addition to posting a correction on the BBC website, Fraser Steel, head of editorial complaints at the BBC, wrote in a letter to the complaining NGOs:
“We of course accept that the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and that the BBC should not describe it as such. [Presenter] Steve Boulton and other senior managers in BBC Sport told us they very much regret the mistake and apologize for it. Senior managers will try to ensure, as you suggest, that the mistake is not repeated… I’d like to add my apologies for this most regrettable, but I’m sure accidental, factual mistake. I appreciate that the status of Jerusalem is of particular concern to Palestinians, and it is important that it is not misrepresented.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said in response:
“Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. It is the right of every sovereign state to determine which city will be its capital. If this is not accepted by everyone today, I am confident it will be in the future.”
MM
11:51 pm
Jun 15, 2007
They now have an article referring to Palestine…..
“Jeremy Bowen diary: Kosovo v Palestine” at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6744129.stm
There is no such place as Palestine and on the assumption that they will act accordingly ‘on a matter which is of such sensitivity and concern to the Israeli people’ (to translate from their terminology in their apology), I presume that they will remove references to Palestine from their website – such as the link above. And publish an apology of course.
Childish I know – but two can play at that game.
complaints to the BBC at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/.
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aunursa
7:16 am
Jun 18, 2007
“We of course accept that the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital…”
Obviously the $64,000 question that the BBC should be asked: Where IS Israel’s capital?
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Paardestaart
8:32 pm
Jul 19, 2012
And this is it?
I´ve never heard such an insulting, degrading ´excuse´ in my life!
The BBC should be a ashamed: this character adds insult to injury by pretending to offer an excuse, while adressing not the Israeli´s, but the palestinians by saying that his ´mistake´ was painful for thém!
He is like a partisan jock who adresses a male companion´s bit on the side as the wife, and then makes his excuse not to the friend´s wife, but to the floozy, saying he´d forgotten how opposed she was to the institution of marriage!
This cad should be fired!
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albie
12:18 am
Jul 24, 2012
The Hong Kong (HK) entry on the BBC Olympic countries website says that HK is the capital . Strictly speaking as laid down in unchanged statute the City of Victoria or Central territory is the Capital of HK, or is it. Most foreign embassies for HK reside in Bejing which is also the seat of Government , so why do the BBC post on their website that HK is the Capital yet not Jerusalem which is the capital of Israel since its inception in Modern day Israel and historically throughout the ages . The fact that Tel Aviv is the centre of financial activity and has some embassies located there as HK does not make Tel Aviv or HK the capital , it is Bejing and Jerusalem. Why isn’t the BBC honest?
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Claars Notes » bbc gebeten hond
2:42 pm
Jul 28, 2012
[...] verhaal wordt helemaal krankzinnig als je weet dat de BBC in juni 2007 publiekelijk zijn excuses aanbood voor het feit dat de omroep Jeruzalem de hoofdstad van Israël had genoemd. We zullen het [...]
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