UPDATE – Fight Over BBC Olympic Coverage Intensifies
July 23, 2012 14:50 by Alex Margolin
The BBC’s controversial decision to omit Israel’s capital of Jerusalem from the information on countries participating in the London Olympics has drawn a strong response from the Israeli government.
Government officials have sent several sharply-worded letters to the BBC demanding that it list Israel’s capital as it does for virtually every other country. It also launched a popular campaign on Facebook called Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel, inviting the public to join the effort. More than 16,000 already have.
To recap, the BBC initially left out any reference to an Israeli capital while simultaneously listing “East Jerusalem” as the capital of “Palestine.” The BBC then amended the listings in response to public outrage and a letter from Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For detailed information on the BBC’s Olympic coverage, see HR’s last communique, BBC Olympic Coverage Declares East Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital.
The new text replaced the word capital with “Seat of Government” in Jerusalem, while adding that most foreign embassies “are in Tel Aviv.” It made a parallel change to the listing for “Palestine”, listing “East Jerusalem” as the “Intended seat of government.”
For HonestReporting and all those demanding the BBC print the truth about Israel, the change was not good enough. Seat of government is not the same as capital, and Mark Regev sent a second letter demanding that the BBC end the discrimination against Israel. “Unlike all other countries listed,” he wrote, “in Israel’s case, our capital Jerusalem is not classified by the BBC as such but rather as a “Seat of Government.”"
The Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, also issued a press release stating firmly that “irrespective of the BBC’s political agenda, Jerusalem always was, is, and will be the capital of Israel and the spiritual, political, and physical center of the Jewish people.”
As of this writing, the BBC continues to discriminate against Israel by treating it differently than every other country competing in the London Olympics.
Don’t let the media delegitimize Israel’s claim to Jerusalem as its capital. Take action now and support Israel’s demand that the BBC corrects its error. Send your complaints directly to BBC Sport.
Don’t forget to join the Facebook campaign to publicly demonstrate against the BCC along with thousands of others. And see HR’s Jerusalem Resource Page for more information about Israel’s claim to the city.
Jack Adler
4:06 pm
Jul 23, 2012
What to you expect from the “BBC” that stands for, BRITISH BASTARDS CULT” Now that you know what “BBC” stands for, don’t be surprised of whatever HATE they express, or how they do it!!!
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Stephen Yarrow
4:14 pm
Jul 23, 2012
If the BBC don’t stop behaving in this appalling fashion, as a Jew I would refuse to pay the TV licence.
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Beverly Weckstein
4:15 pm
Jul 23, 2012
The United States should announce that they will boycott the Olympics…that would get their attention. Unfortunately with the present administration that would never happen.
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Janice Mehler
4:16 pm
Jul 23, 2012
When commenting on the BBC Sport website, refer to the url as: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/countries/israel
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Lawrence Bentley
4:20 pm
Jul 23, 2012
I agree 100% that Jerusalem is the capital. No arguement about it from me.
However it is not me or the BBC or any newspaper that matters it is other bodies such as the the UN in the world which must regognise the capital and this has not yet been agreed as far as I know.
I hate the way the BBC show Israel but in this case they are trying to get it right in a strange circumstance.
I wonder what they put from the last Olyimpics on the Web page?
As important as this matter is the “whose capita” has yet to be settled by all parties. East Jerusalem is the problem not West Jerusalem.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Philip lewis
4:20 pm
Jul 23, 2012
Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the indestructable nation of Israel and whether the BBC recognises this fact or not makes no difference – but I do wonder why they are afraid to admit it.
Philip
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Frank Bright
4:27 pm
Jul 23, 2012
Surely the solution is very simple and has always been so. If the Israeli government had any guts it would remove accreditation from any and all BBC’s reporters. There is no rule of law, not even international law, that says that anybody and everybody can kick little Israel. Sometimes, I suggest it is necessary and prudent to kick back, loud and hard.
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Ilan Samson
4:27 pm
Jul 23, 2012
What a typical indigenous arrogance:
The BBC can hand over its premises if it feels thus inclined, but who do they think are appropriating other people’s cities?
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Ian Yates
4:29 pm
Jul 23, 2012
I live in the UK and I am sick and tired of the BBC’s attitude to Israel. I have written as you suggested stating that “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel”
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Ilan Samson
4:29 pm
Jul 23, 2012
What a typical indigenous arrogance:
The BBC can hand over its premises if it feels thus inclined, but who do they think they are appropriating other people’s cities?
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UPDATE – Fight Over BBC Olympic Coverage Intensifies « Olive Press
4:33 pm
Jul 23, 2012
[...] http://honestreporting.com/update-fight-over-bbc-olympic-coverage-intensifies/ Share this:ShareLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
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Stephen
4:37 pm
Jul 23, 2012
I am more than happy for the capital of israel to be wherever it wants it to be. However after checking, it is far from clear that jerusalem is recognised as the capital of israel. Even the US State Department seem to avoid stating that they recognise Jerusalem as capital and successive US governments have failed to move their embassy to Jerusalem. The BBC could have done themselves a favour by simply listing Jerusalem as the capital, but doesn’t the current information on their website just reflect what most of the world’s governments regard as Jerusalem’s status. So please, everyone calm down, stop the BBC witch-hunt and if you wish, start campaigning against the couple of hundred governments in the world who hold the same view as the BBC
Hot debate. What do you think?
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b v huglin
4:37 pm
Jul 23, 2012
jurusalem was the capital of Israel bfeore
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b v huglin
4:39 pm
Jul 23, 2012
Jerusalem was the undivided capital of Israel before Greece or London was ever heard of so they dont realy need the BBC to verify this fact
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Silas Jacob
4:46 pm
Jul 23, 2012
The BBC always been contrary in bulletins about Israel and The Jewish Nation. Should there be any offices of the BBC in Israel they should be thrown out immediately.
When the BBC recognises that Israel, EU, Britian,eThe US and many other countries are being hit by terrorism by the many ME terrorists groups ( some citizens of the same countries they have lived in, educated, looked after medically educationally and more ) that have grown up in within Europe.Many or all Israeli inventions are used by Europe. and Britain and that is what we contribute to this rotten world while the ME terrorists are contributing murder of their own peoples.
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Eli Tal
4:48 pm
Jul 23, 2012
What an audacity for the BBC to think it can decide for the Israeli people where the capital of Israel should be. What ever their politics (clearly antisemitic) they can get off their high chair and leave Israeli government decisions to the democratically elected Israeli government, which happens to be the only legally elected representative of the people of Israel. Who elected the BBC G0d?
Maybe Israel or one of the local news agencies should declare Glasgow the capital of England?
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Ilan Samson
5:00 pm
Jul 23, 2012
What a typical indigenous arrogance:
The BBC can hand over its premises if it feels thus inclined, but who do they think they are apportioning other people’s cities?
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Uncle Bri
5:02 pm
Jul 23, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle-complaint/
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Uri HIrsch
5:13 pm
Jul 23, 2012
I understand that the capital of England is Liverpool. Please document that on all Olympic material. If that’s incorrect then correct the capital of Israel as well. Just in case you don’t know it’s Jerusalem. Always was and always will be.
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Uri Hirsch
5:16 pm
Jul 23, 2012
Please list Liverpool as the capital of England on all Olympic posters and websites. If you don’t think that’s correct then correct it for other countries as well. The capital of Israel, in case you didn’t know, is Jerusalem. It always was and always will be. By the way there is no country on earth called Palestine. Where did you get that false information?
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