Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East
September 14, 2010 (updated September 15, 1.25pm.)
TVNZ's Close Up September 13 A Shocker
A KBRM member immediately wrote the following letter of complaint to TVNZ which was followed by other members' letters.
On 13 September 2010, TVNZ's Close Up current affairs programme interviewed Roger Fowler of Kia Ora Gaza in an episode that looked more like a promotional recruiting video than a piece of investigative journalism.
In ‘Risking their Lives in Gaza’, reporter, Gill Higgins, hung on every word Mr Fowler said, never questioning the sweeping generalisations he made against Israel, never probing into the political nature of Kia Ora Gaza and its links to the radical, pro-Hamas Viva Palestina. Interspersed with video clips of injured civilians, IDF personnel and anti-Israel demonstrations. Close Up created an oversimplified, erroneous impression of Israelis as aggressors and Arabs as innocent victims. The ‘humanitarian’ Mr Fowler made no comment about the kidnapped Israeli Gilad Shalit, who remains in captivity, without ever receiving a single humanitarian visit, after being kidnapped by Hamas four years ago. Nor did Roger Fowler express any sorrow over the recent Hamas killing of four Israelis, including a pregnant mother and her husband. Members of KBRM responded to this biased piece of Kia Ora Gaza promotional material masquerading as ‘current affairs’ by writing to Close Up.
I watched, incredulous, at the Kia Ora Gaza propaganda display on last night's ‘Close Up’ programme. Why is the New Zealand state funded broadcaster producing promotional videos for a political organisation? As a piece of propaganda, this report was a sensational success, but as a piece of investigative journalism it was an abject failure.
It failed to ask why, if giving humanitarian aid and alleviating the suffering of the people of Gaza is the primary intention of Kia Ora Gaza, money was being raised to send six activists from New Zealand half way across the planet to deliver aid that is already available and being distributed in Gaza by international relief agencies? Spending money on travel for these six people, none of whom are structural or public health engineers, builders, medics or even teachers fluent in Arabic or Hebrew, is an extremely poor use of financial resources that could be far better spent elsewhere.
It failed to ask about the political philosophy of Kia Ora Gaza or it's sister organisation, Viva Palestina and its leader, George Galloway. Mr Galloway is known to have given personal and financial support for the Hamas government, even though it is internationally recognised as supporting and equipping terrorist organizations.
It failed to question Roger Fowler about the blatantly false and inflammatory claims made by Kia Or Gaza in a message distributed to students at Waikato University, stating ‘Israel is the most powerful military state in the Middle East, and has been doing as it pleases. So we haven't been able to do much while hundreds of children, women, men and the elderly get killed, raped and violated on a daily basis.’ (Reported in Waikato Times, Saturday 11 September, 2010) This statement was correctly described as ‘hate preaching’ by one Waikato University student, but Close Up did not challenge Mr Fowler about it.
It failed to examine the role of Hamas in creating any humanitarian crisis that may exist in Gaza, or to mention the ongoing attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. It also failed to mention the blockade of Gaza by Egypt and the supplies that make it into Gaza through the smuggling "tunnels" between Gaza and Egypt.
It failed to explain that Hamas consistently discriminates against the Palestinian people in Gaza who do not share their political or religious views, and that Hamas' policy of annihilating Israel and its Jewish citizens are at the heart of the conflict between Gaza and Israel. Hamas does not even recognise Israel's right to exist and celebrates every Jewish death it causes. When Hamas operatives murdered four Israelis, one of whom was pregnant and left six children orphaned, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza took to the streets to hand out candies in celebration.
It failed to provide the historical context of the current situation in Gaza. It did not provide important ‘background’ facts, namely that, seeking to give land for peace, Israel withdrew its settlers from Gaza in 2005, leaving infrastructure and viable horticultural businesses for the Palestinian people to use to build an economically viable Palestinian state. Within weeks of the Israeli withdrawal, much of the infrastructure and horticultural equipment had been looted and destroyed by Palestinians. When Hamas violently consolidated its hold over the Gaza government, the emphasis on Gaza's government policy shifted from building a viable, prosperous and peaceful Palestinian state to actively seeking the annihilation of the Jewish state.
It failed to seek clarification about generalised statements made by Mr Fowler. Mr Fowler claimed that Israeli government ‘policy’ was the cause of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but he did not explain which particular Israeli policy was at fault. If there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza it is indeed man-made, but perhaps the ‘policy’ of the Israeli government is less at fault than that of the Hamas-led government, whose primary, publicly stated ‘policy'’ is to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic state.
It failed to mention the recent opening of a modern, newly constructed, fully stocked shopping mall in Gaza city, or to ask where the building materials supplies came from to build it, or the Olympic swimming pool that also opened recently. It failed to ask why, if there are supposedly no building materials in Gaza for homes or hospitals, there are supplies aplenty for pools and malls frequented by those Palestinians favoured by Hamas.
It failed to mention that the ‘humanitarians’ on the Gaza flotilla attacked Israeli soldiers with steel bars, knives and guns, leaving a number of them severely wounded. These soldiers acted in self defence against armed men who ambushed them as they boarded the Mavi Marmara. There was no violence on any other of the Gaza flotilla ships, because there was no violent provocation.
It failed to mention that many of the ‘aid supplies’ carried by the Gaza flotilla were rejected by Hamas, and never reached the Palestinian people of Gaza.It also failed to mention that each and every week Israel allows into Gaza more aid and supplies than was contained in the entire Gaza Flotilla.
It failed to provide contextual information for any of the video footage that clearly sought to create the impression of Israeli aggression and Palestinian suffering. In one scene protesters held placards calling for Israel to get out of Lebanon — even though the Israelis withdrew from Lebanon years ago. What was the source of the video clips of injured Palestinians, and when and where were they taken? This information was not given, but it is important to know if what is being shown is real or a carefully constructed montage of emotive footage that is being used to manipulate the audience.
It failed to provide an alternative, authoritative view to that of Kia Ora Gaza in an international situation that is complex and multi-faceted. This gross oversimplification of the Middle East conflict reduced Israel to the role of "villain" and Arabs to the role of ‘victim’. The situation in the Middle East is not that simple and to portray it as such is dishonest and dangerously misleading.
Finally, and significantly, it failed to mention Gilad Shalit, the Israeli kidnapped from within Israel by Hamas operatives and held captive for over four years. Mr Shalit has never received even a single humanitarian visit from the Red Cross, Amnesty International or any other international humanitarian organisation, yet neither the Gaza Flotilla nor Kia Ora Gaza ‘humanitarians’ have called for his release.
As a New Zealand citizen I consider that tax-payer funded TVNZ was wrong to produce such a piece of blatant political propaganda, making no effort whatsoever to provide a critical examination or balanced view of the Kia Ora Gaza campaign, and presenting it to the New Zealand public as in depth, authoritative ‘current affairs’.
Kia Ora Gaza is not the Plunket Society or the SPCA — it is a controversial political organisation with a specific political agenda: namely to apply pressure to a foreign country in order to force that country to change its foreign policy towards a neighbouring state that has declared war against it. It is deeply troubling that the supposedly objective and non-partisane New Zealand state broadcaster saw fit to lend unquestioning support to an overtly political organization.
I hope that Close Up has the journalistic integrity to seek to present an alternative perspective on the conflict between Israel and Gaza in order to balance out this flagrant piece of Israel-bashing and self-promotion by Roger Fowler and Kia Ora Gaza.
The member also wrote to the Minister of Broadcasting, Jonathan Coleman and included the above letter.
Another member wrote a formal complaint to TVNZ and sent a CC to the Minister of Broadcasting.
The Chief Executive
TVNZ
PO BOX 3819
Auckland
Re: Close Up Programme TV One Monday 13th September 2010
I wish to lodge a formal complaint about the above programme in regard to the section entitled ‘Risking their lives in Gaza’
This programme was nothing more than a propaganda exercise for the Kia Ora Group
Specifically in terms of the Broadcasting Standards it was in breach of the following sections:
- Standard 4
When dealing with controversial issues in news or current affairs broadcasters are required to make reasonable efforts or give reasonable opportunities to present significant points of view.
This programme failed to do this and was entirely unbalanced with no contrary views allowed or expressed. - Standard 5
Broadcasters are requires to ensure that current affairs is accurate and does not mislead. Further, the broadcaster is required to be impartial.
This programme failed to meet this standard containing many inaccuracies and misleading statements and exhibiting great bias. - Sandard 6
Broadcasters are required to exhibit fairness and should exercise care to ensure that extracts are not a distortion of the original event.
This programme failed this standard exhibiting a completely distorted view of the situation and allowing nothing but the Kia Ora view point. - Standard 8
Broadcasters should ensure programmes do not deceive or disadvantage the viewer.
This programme failed this test . Anyone viewing it would have been deceived and incorrectly informed.
In summary a shoddy biased and thoroughly prejudiced programme, completely unbalanced that lacked fairness and worthy of some soviet style controlled news channel.
We should expect better from a tax payer funded TV Station
I look forward to your response.
Other members also wrote the following letters to the TVNZ Close Up Team:
Complaint; TV1 Close up interview “Risking their lives in Gaza”?
What is the motive of TVNZ promoting programmes such as ‘Risking their lives in Gaza’? It was solely propaganda, based on complete untruths and distortions, accompanied by misleading irrelevant sensationalist pictures, Mr Fowler part of a group of 6 ignorant of the correct facts Kiwis, off to save the world. When it comes to Israel and her Arab neighbours our TVNZ media are disgustingly totally biased, and continually grossly misrepresent the whole Middle East situation. Israel is always portrayed as an aggressor. The sons of Ishmael and Esau continually promote this blame game propaganda [they have become experts at it] to cover all their inadequacies, and their corruption of monetary aid, they do not care for their people, unfortunately N.Z. Media swallow it, and what is worse, print and broadcast it as the true facts. Why is true Arab intent totally ignored? Their ONLY GOAL is to get rid of all the Jews, full-stop. They are driven by hate, they value death, and their people, especially teenagers and children are dispensable in the pursuit of this goal. Hamas represents Islamic radicalism at it's worst.
Mr Fowler was portrayed as a loving family man, he should be protesting AGAINST Hamas, working to liberate the children of Gaza from their poison. Children are indoctrinated with Jewish hatred in school by adults, taught to use arms at Kindergarten by adults, encouraged to be Shadids [suicide bombers] for Allah by adults, and used as human shields, along with their mothers, by adults. As Hillary Clinton has described it ‘The very worst kind of child abuse’.
I understand the Kiwis are going in a land convoy through North Africa, crossing into Egypt [if Egypt allows them] and then into Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Where does Mr. Fowler named on the screen as a ‘Protestor’ get the notion ‘that he will be in a likely conflict with Israeli forces’. Apart from making himself appear to be a brave warrior hero, Egypt controls the opening and closing of the Rafah crossing, what has that got to do with the Israeli Defence Forces who operate in Israel, not Egypt or Gaza.
Quote from interview ‘Gaza is a man made issue a direct result of Israeli policy’. Israel exited from Gaza 2005, Gaza is Hamas controlled and a proxy of Iran [substantial funding, military equipment, and training from there] Hamas the government was elected by the people and then took over Gaza completely. To oppose Hamas is to face death, as many Fatah PA members have found out. They have been Murdered, tortured, kneecapped, thrown off buildings etc. Hamas are promising more terrorist attacks [5 Israeli citizens already killed] during the Peace talks between Israel and Fatah the Palestinian Authority. They violently oppose peace and a Palestinian State in the West Bank. The PA police have arrested hundreds of Hamas sympathisers in the West Bank in an effort to protect the West Bank population from a Hamas takeover there.
Quotes from interview ‘1-1/2 million in a desperate situation’ ‘everywhere you look it's completely desperate,’ has Mr Fowler actually been there] When they enter through the Rafah crossing it may well appear like that, tents cover hundreds of tunnel entrances under the Egyptian border, the place looks like a disaster zone, it’s a centre of illegal smuggling. It is reported some tunnel owners have made millions, and even drive Mercedes. If the group gets to go beyond Rafah and places used to further promote propaganda, it will look totally different, Gaza City [pop. 410,000+] a place where wealth is on open display, new Olympic swimming Pool, [July 2010] new luxury shopping Mall, [August 2010] luxurious restaurants like The Roots Club, and much more in the current building boom. How did they build these during 2010 without any building materials and cement]
If the Kia Ora Gaza group were to be seen to be trying to liberate the people from the control of Hamas, that would be far more help to the desperate Hamas entrapped population of Gaza. Poverty exists in Gaza, Israel, [both countries similar percentages] all countries of the world and yes, even here in New Zealand. The Hamas Charter needs to be read and seen for what it is by the group, all they are doing is advertising and promoting a terrorist group, similar to the Taliban, Al Qaeda, groups the world could well do without. What would happen if Iran supplied them with Nukes, that's the reason why there is a maritime blockade endorsed by Egypt and the U.S. And other countries to prevent accumulation of heavy weapons, which will then rain down on Israel and beyond. Hamas is currently still firing rockets into Israel.
I read recently ‘The Media exists to shape peoples opinion’ that is the reason why I do not watch TVNZ channels, [a concerned friend passed the video URL to me] that statement is a licence for lies and wrongful indoctrination of the population. Hitler was one of the masters of that.
TVNZ should do a programme on the significant numbers of Gaza residents who cross into Israel and have difficult births and life saving operations in Israeli hospitals, performed by Jewish and Israeli Arab doctors, and nursed by Israeli Arab and Jewish staff who work together in the hospitals. Most of the parents are very grateful, and change their opinion of Israeli's, they find their caring treatment by Israeli's the opposite to what they have always been taught.
I hope you are going to allow someone qualified, to make some rebuttals of Roger Fowler's unhinged assertions about the plight of ‘the Gazans’. (For example, Mr David Zwartz has become somewhat accustomed to acting as a foil to Roger Fowler in media forums where balance is regarded as important).
It would be nice to get some perspective on Roger Fowler's point about Gaza being ‘a tiny sliver of land as big as Browns Bay up to East Coast Bays here in Auckland’. Perhaps we could have an explanation of Israel's size too? (From Whangarei to Hamilton — with chunks out of it that leave it only 18km wide in places?). And an explanation of how much land space the surrounding Muslim Arab nations have? (DO show your audience a map, with NZ superimposed on the region for comparison's sake). And a simple statement of the fact that Gaza shares a border with Muslim Egypt and could receive aid and supplies if Egypt allowed it? Perhaps Egypt has reasons not to (let alone Israel having reasons not to), that if fairly considered, might undermine the Gazans whole ‘moral case’?
Or perhaps we could be told that Israel, 18,000 square kilometers, has absorbed nearly 1 million Jewish refugees from Muslim lands over the last few decades, while the surrounding Muslim Arab lands with over 1 million square kilometers of land, have refused to absorb any of their fellows?
There are numerous examples all over the world of territories subject to changes of sovereignty following on warfare, and refugee flows and resettlement issues; only Israel, with the strongest case of all to be allowed to retain buffer territories between them and people who have never ceased to be at war with them — witness the never-ending hail of rockets and mortar shells — is endlessly harrassed by international organisations and media. Why the selectivity? Is Israel ‘the Jew among the nations’?
I have just looked at Roger Fowler's interview with Close Up (tvnz on demand). He is anti Israel, about that there is no question. He is misinformed or, rather, he chooses to ignore the truth, that the people of Gaza have more than enough supplies. With a totally corrupt leadership, yes, there will be people hungry. The so called hardship is brought about by the Hamas leaders who preach hatred and violence as a way of life.
If Fowler really wants to make a difference to wars and the world, he'd be better off trying to get Hamas to recognise Israel (but that's against their religion).
And TVNZ for its part loses its credibility as an objective news source by not giving the Israeli side.
Mark Sainsbury's Close Up last night, ‘Risking their lives in Gaza’, left me stunned that TV1, funded by the NZ taxpayer, could stoop so low as to show a blatantly biased account of the Israel/Gaza situation. There were many inaccuracies and distortions of truth and the background information, which would have given context, left out. I cannot believe this propaganda was shown by our national government funded TV channel.
I would like to know whether we are to view a programme telling the truth about Hamas, their treatment of their own people and the cause of suffering in both Gaza and Israel? I would also like to know why Kia Ora Gaza is not contributing to the Internationally recognised Red Cross aid or are they just spending money on a publicity stunt with a political agenda? Why is Gilad Shilat, the Israeli soldier kept prisoner in Gaza by Hamas, not visited by the International Red Cross? The programme last night was a shocker.
To the Close up Team
Hi guys, what an appalling piece of journalism re your clip tonight about the Kia Ora Gaza junket.
You should really be ashamed of yourselves for such a biased piece of work. Frankly its a disgrace.