Jerusalem Is NOT The Capital OF Israel!!!

No BBC, Jerusalem Is Not The Capital Of Israel!

22/5/2007

Please contact the BBC and complain about the incorrect claim that has been made concerning the status of Jerusalem requesting both an apology and a correction.

There are many arguments against Israel's inclusion in UEFA, which it joined in 1991. Ismail Patel notes these points very simply and succinctly, 'Israel's deliberate targeting of sports facilities, punitive travel restrictions on Palestinians, general undermining of Palestinian football, and in particular obstructing Palestinians from participating in international tournaments, has to be categorised as racial discrimination' [1].

However there is in fact a greater issue here aside from what may be described as bad sportsmanship, an issue which is even more damning; this is not of UEFA but of the BBC.

For many politics simply does not enter into the realm of sport reportage. On BBC Sport coverage in a program called 'Feature: Israel in Focus' broadcast on 24th March a BBC correspondent erroneously claimed Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. A statement that is not only fallacious but extremely offensive to Palestinians living under occupation who see a major and credible news agency dismissing international law which considers neither East nor West Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

In a land where for many Palestinians everyday living is a struggle for survival such reporting threatens to forget the silent persecution of a people whose history is being systematically re-written for them.

MPACUK recognise that the infallibility of any news agency is far from possible. Therefore if this is an honest mistake then it must be recognised as one.

'East Jerusalem is considered by the international community to be illegally occupied by Israel, in contravention of several binding UN Security Council Resolutions. In these resolutions, the United Nations Security Council has also called for no measures to be taken to change the status of Jerusalem until a final settlement is reached between the sides: declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital is an attempt to change this status, and is thus a violation of these Security Council resolutions. Israel's capital is recognised as Tel Aviv pending a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians. ' [2]

We ask you to contact the BBC and complain about the incorrect claim that has been made concerning the status of Jerusalem requesting both an apology and a correction.

To make a complaint via the Internet click on this link .

Or call the BBC directly on 08700 100 222

*Remember the clip was televised as part of BBC Sport coverage called 'Football Focus - Feature: Israel in Focus' on BBC1 at 12.10BST on the 24th March 2007 .

The BBC must ensure that such a mistake is not made again as it is erroneous, misleading and offensive to many people who are struggling to uphold the rights of Palestinians under occupation.

For more information on the United Nations position on the status of Jerusalem click here.

References:
[1] Guardian – Comment is free
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ismail_patel/2007/03/israel_and_soccer.html
[2] Arab Media Watch
http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/CountryBackgrounds/
Palestine/EastJerusalem/JerusalemisNottheCapitalofIsrael/tabid/308/Default.aspx

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Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK
0870 760 5594
www.mpacuk.org
west.london@mpacuk.org

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