BBC upholds complaint over 'Operation Brother's Keeper' report

The BBC has upheld a complaint on the grounds of accuracy concerning a July report on ‘Operation Brother’s Keeper’ that misrepresented the killings of Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank.

On 1 July, BBC News online published an article titled ‘Israel: Hamas ‘will pay price’ after teenagers found dead’, following the discovery of the bodies of three missing Israeli youth near Hebron. In an attempt to provide context for events in the West Bank, the BBC report noted the following:

The disappearance of the teenagers on 12 June sparked a huge search operation in Palestinian towns and cities across the West Bank. More than 400 Palestinians were arrested, while five were killed in fighting with Israeli troops.

To describe those Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces as having been “killed in fighting with Israeli troops” was inaccurate, misleading, and offensive. One of them, for example, was unarmed and mentally disabled. Another was an unarmed 15-year-old boy shot dead with live ammunition.

For the BBC to write that “five were killed in fighting with Israeli troops” clearly gave the impression that those killed were engaged in armed combat with Israeli soldiers, when in fact they were unarmed civilians shot dead in circumstances that could well constitute war crimes.

That same day, I made a complaint, along the lines of the above. The BBC’s initial reply, which came a week later, was disturbing. Seemingly a generic, copy and paste job, the response ignored the specifics of my complaint, and instead offered reassurances that the reporting on Palestine/Israel had been “fair and impartial.”

The reply noted: “BBC News has reported extensively on the wider aspects of the conflict; on the occupation, building of settlements, the impasse in negotiations and the decreasing likelihood of a two state solution”, adding: “Please be assured we raised your concerns with senior editorial staff at BBC News.”

I subsequently complained again (17 July), stressing how “unsatisfactory” the process had been to date. I highlighted the BBC’s commitment to accuracy, and the fact that my complaint had highlighted an important failing in that regard.

Then, earlier this month – a breakthrough. On 7 October, I received an email from the BBC offering their “apologies” for both “our previous response and for the long delay in our second response.” After reviewing the article in question, the BBC told me that they had reworded the relevant sentence so that it now reads “…five were killed by Israeli troops.”

The original problematic wording still remained on some items, however (see here and here). After I pointed this out, the BBC replied once more to confirm that “the same changes have now been made to the other two stories”, thus “upholding your complaint on the grounds of accuracy.” A small result, but one that goes to show how misleading reporting – and dismissive responses – can be successfully challenged.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.