BBC to Livni: “Would You Describe Your Parents as Terrorists?”

Credit to Israeli opposition politician Tzipi Livni for keeping her cool during an interview for BBC Newsnight. Evan Davis asks her a series of leading questions including this with reference to Livni’s parents who were members of the Irgun group fighting the British military in 1940’s Mandate Palestine:

They were imprisoned by the British, they were part of the Irgun, which was a movement. Would you describe your parents as terrorists?

Irrespective of how many civilians they’ve murdered or heads severed from bodies in Islamic State style, the BBC has an enormous problem describing any number of vicious extremist organizations as “terrorists.” The BBC’s own Editorial Guidelines stress avoiding the use of the word “terrorist” and also state:

The value judgements frequently implicit in the use of the words “terrorist” or “terrorist group” can create inconsistency in their use or, to audiences, raise doubts about our impartiality.

Evan Davis’s question, albeit a crude attempt to get Livni herself to use the word “terrorist,” indeed raises serious doubts about his impartiality. Why is it only Jews and Israelis that can be described as terrorists in the eyes of the BBC and its reporters?

As for other parts of the interview, Davis continuously attempts to corner Livni with questions based on the assumption of Israel as an apartheid state, even asking her whether she agreed with sanctions on apartheid South Africa in an effort to draw a moral equivalence between that regime and Israel as well as to portray Livni as a potential hypocrite.

Livni herself is a seasoned politician and capable of answering difficult questions. Evan Davis’s line of questioning, however, demonstrates yet again the hostile and biased attitude the BBC displays towards Israel and any political figure who fails to display an equivalent malevolence towards Israel.

[sc:graybox ]You can complain to the BBC through its online form – http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/ – entering BBC Two as the channel and Newsnight as the program from June 16 that you wish to complain about.