Gordon's Republic

One word, Gordon: COMPASSION. Just look at the language you're using...'BBC impartiality'...'a complicated and contentious story'...'political bullying'...'backing one side'...You media types seem to have forgotten the one thing that truly makes us human. Compassion. Shame on you all for even debating this subject. It's a no-brainer.

You seem to be confused over whether you are arguing on the issue of Gaza in particular or whether you are arguing to end all BBC DEC appeals.

If you feel the BBC should not broadcast any DEC Appeals then say that.

This would mean your line is that the BBC should not have had DEC Appeals for Darfur & Chad (through which civilians were displaced due to ongoing conflict and violence)  How is that different to Palestine?  Which side were you concerned about the BBC "backing" in Darfur or were you not?  What about Sudan, Liberia and Kosovo - were these also not worthy of a DEC appeal on the BBC?  

Should the BBC stop showing Comic Relief as this is not "it's job"?

Your argument is confused and your editorial technique of using such terms as "brow beaten" and "everybody knows" and naming MP's as if only one side of the debate exerts political pressure is tacky at best.  To describe Gerald Kaufman MP as someone who "spends his time, equally tirelessly, attacking Israel at any opportunity" is both inaccurate and unprofessional.  In fact he is an elected and respected Member of Parliament who campaigns on a variety of issues like hunting and is a member of the Jewish Labour Movement.

Do you concede that though the corporation is not under the influence of "Zionists" it will be under pressure from Pro-Israeli groups seeking to support the Israeli actions that are in their opinion justified?  To be concerned about this issue and the influence on the BBC from the Pro-Israeli lobby is not to be a "conspiracy minded loon" but to be concerned for impartiality and the broadcast of this appeal as any of the other appeals.

Unfortunately when you say "job done" as publicity has been raised you massively miss the point that the job isn't done and innocent children are still suffering terribly and in need of British support today.  No Gordon, the job is not done and if the BBC does not show this DEC broadcast as they did for Darfur amongst others then shame on them.

Judge by yourself. Listen to Gerald Kaufman is his own words...uk.youtube.com/watch

Now let's ignore the plea of thousands of children left with no roof over their heads, left traumatized witnessing their parents, grandparents, brother & sisters bodies blown up to pieces or left to bleed to death and rot in front of them.

Now let's ignore the plea of thousands of even smaller children without clean water to drink, or without nappies to get changed after weeks of diarrohea caused by a constant bombardment, sending shock-waves making their homes collapse on top of them.

Now let's ignore their plea whilst they watch their arms or legs burn to the bone caused by the use of phosphorus explosives on their homes. Let's ignore them as they play with rubble and unexploded bombs, sorry no more toys for them.

Poor Gordon, you've got it SO wrong.

What's different from other disasters is that those who pulled the triggers and dropped the bombs keep trying to convince us they did the right thing and we would have done the same. Wrong again.

When the Red Cross ask us to help those in need, when Save the Children ask us to provide for mutilated or scarred for life children, if we choose to ignore their call... Then we are taking sides.

If we ignore the call for compassion, we are finishing the job of the executioner.

@Joe I'm not confused over whether I'm arguing on the issue of Gaza in particular or whether you are arguing to end all BBC DEC appeals - I mention Gaza eight times.

It is an ill-conceived point of view that you present and I am not convinced by your argument.  I agree that the issue is divisive and that some may not see the conflict as a black and white issue.

What is clear is that there is a humanitarian crisis and great human suffering. The DEC appeal is politically independent.  The damage sustained by the Israelis is significantly less and they are far better equipped to deal with it.  The question of why the people of Gaza need help, who is to blame or what ‘side’ we’re on is not relevant.  We know that they need aid from the independent reports, news footage and the UN.  To hinder the provision of aid is to condone the suffering and as such is morally reprehensible.

I would hope that supporters of both sides of the conflict would agree that the needless suffering of innocent children is regrettable and that we should all do what we can to minimise it.

We should also consider that any perceived impartiality, which would undoubtedly be the case if the BBC were to run this ad, would put the journalists and other BBC staff in the region in considerably more danger. I agree with Gordon and the BBC here. I also don't think that the BBC show lack of compassion in their reporting of the injuries to adults and children alike - on both sides of the fighting.

Lee, with respect, the issue is not the BBC'd lack or not "lack of compassion reporting the injuries to adults and children alike - on both sides of the fighting".

The issue is the BBC ignoring the request by DEC (The Disasters Emergency Committee) to broadcast and appeal to provide relief for the victims of an ongoing humanitarian disaster.

The DEC member charities are...

Action Aid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and WorldVision.

To find more about their impartiality please visit http://www.dec.org.uk

If other DEC appeals have been broadcast by the BBC, then this one should go ahead too.

However, Lee does make a point about extra danger for BBC staff.

However, war correspondents have always run a risk, and just being British is enough of a risk these days.  Look at the events in India last year.

If there is a precedent, it should be respected.....

There are few people I believe who support the BBC's decision in broadcasting the DEC Appeals.  From some of your recent articles/blogs Gordon, would you have said the same thing if it were Israel who had an overwhelming number of children in urgent need of Aid....?  I very much doubt it.

Try and show the compassionate side of you.  The bottom line is, as a humanitarian crisis unfolds, we should be doing all we can to get aid to those who are left suffering.

Irrespective of my own beliefs, As a father of three young children, it troubles me that you not only support, but also try and justify such a ridiculous decision made by the BBC.

Oh dear. Gordon and his sixth form politics once again. We already know that you support Israel which is ironic considering you are now sermonising about impartiality. LOL. The decision not to broadcast the appeal will cost lives but then you don't care about that because you support the bombing of the Gaza Strip as we learnt in your previous post on this subject. Do us all a favour and stick to writing about Big Brother.

You seem to be able to put words into other people's mouths Martin without having any original ones of your own.

I have no time for the majority western media with their anti-Israel bias along with 'knee jerk' reactions to the middle east crisis ie Israel = bad, Palestinian cause = good.. I find Hamas and their hypocrisy over portraying themselves as victims whilst being the perpetrators of terror just as repulsive.  And I would support the BBC whenever they make a stand that would compromise their impartiality. However, this is not one of those cases. This is surely just a humanitarian appeal that is beyond politics. How does this differ from, say. Comic Relief appealing on behalf of suffering children in Darfur? This is a misguided decision that needs to be rethought.

i agree with Mark G.

where's the compassion? where's the humanity?

job well done?

i wonder what the kids in Gaza would make of your blog?

i don't suppose they'd even understand what you're talking about,

they're too busy trying to survive.

I had previously been in support of the BBC stance, on the understanding that the campaign had strong political overtones, and I agree it's not their place to pass judgement.  Just watched the appeal clip though (uk.youtube.com/watch), and it is very specifically a-political (only one reference to flattened buildings) and also a really well scripted ad.  They should really run it, it's purely trying to help people who are suffering and in real need of help.

On a side note, not entirely sure how showing it would put BBC reporters in danger? It's not like the Israeli troops are going to suddenly have licence to take pot shots at them, and it can only endear them to palestinian insurgents...

Gordon . I agree with you on this - The fact is that if you want to give any aid to DEC you know where to go. Google and teh BBc are our friends.

Agreed, there's too much jumping on the bandwagon going on around here. Good piece.

Good on the BBC for not giving into the noisy rabble.