Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla was bound to become a hot topic of discussion on the BBC’s The Big Question, its flagship Sunday morning program.
The question “Is Israel Acting Immoral” was going to be the final question discussed on the show which broadcasts live each Sunday morning.
That soon came to an abrupt halt when viewers were informed midway through the program that due to a technical fault it was going off air.
This sent conspiracy theorists into action, posting on the BBC website.
One poster wrote: “Coincidence. I very much doubt it. Is Israel acting immorally? Asking this taboo is and has been TABOO. Someone intends that it remain so.”
Another suggested: “Now we have to wait do we until it’s been screened to SpinMeisters first. More than coincidence. Yes.”
While a third posted: “I believe there were no ‘technical’ problems… rather a block on discussion of a very popular and emotional subject: Israel’s disregard for international law and treatment of the Palestinians.”
Front row guests included Jonathan Hoffman, vice chairman of the Zionist Federation and Holocaust survivor, Dr Martin Stern. Also in the audience was Ismail Patel, chair of the Leicester-based campaign Friends of Al-Aqsa, who was on the flotilla that was stormed by Israeli soldiers last week.
The celebrity panel consisted of regular contributors Chritina Rees and Chabad Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet as well as a guest appearance from former England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton.
The panel and audience were informed midway through the program that transmission was cut “due to satellite problems” but that the cameras would keep rolling and the show would still be broadcast later on the BBC iPlayer.
A text message was later sent to the panelists informing them that the program would not be show on iPlayer either, generating all the conspiracy theories.
“The debate continued,” Rabbi Schochet of the Mill Hill Synagogue said, “but things got kind of heated in a way that you wouldn’t have typically seen on live television. I think the fact that we knew we were off air, removed a certain inhibition and everyone just let loose.”
Patel claimed that Israelis boarded the ship without warning and began firing immediately and indiscriminately.
Hoffman challenged him on his assertions citing evidence to the contrary and suggesting that Patel often concocted lies about Israel, including the bombing of the World Trade Center on Sep. 11.
When he denied ever saying this, Dr. Stern told him that he was twice at rallies at which Patel spoke and in both instances he denied Islamic involvement in 9/11.
Rabbi Schochet challenged him further as to why he cites Holocaust deniers such as Roger Garaudy on his website, forcing Patel to acknowledge that the Holocaust was the greatest tragedy of the last century.
Host Nicky Campell asked Rabbi Schochet: “With everything going on recently, in your eyes does Israel ever do anything wrong?”
He replied: “The loss of life is always regrettable. People who are honest enough know that Israel always strives to be absolutely compliant with human rights. The real issue is that in too many people’s eyes Israel can never do anything right.”
And responding to the plea of a woman in the audience who lost family members in the Gaza war, pleading for peace on both sides, Schochet chimed in: “I fully agree. And I think a good starting point would be in this room with Ismail Patel taking all the venom and rhetoric off his website.”
Speaking after the show, Schochet said: “Collectively we put up a strong case for Israel and we discredited Patel completely in front of the studio audience. Shame in couldn’t be in front of a wider television audience.”
Writing on the BBC message board, Jonathan Hoffman said: “It was a really strong debate. It is really important that the recording gets transmitted. As things stand it is not being broadcast and will not be on iPlayer.”
The BBC have since informed its panelists that the program will not be available on iPlayer or on DVD.
SPOT ON!!!!!!!!
To say that no respecting Lubavitcher should go on BBC is like saying no respecting Lubavitcher should go on CNN or something like that. It is THE main news channel in the UK and elsewhere. In Lubavitch we have people who are good at what they do and should be the ones doing it. Schochat is very articulate and puts across a good argument. We used to have Boteach but he went AWOL. So when someone attacks the Tanya in the press who you gonna call? And when it comes to Erez Yisroel and the Rebbe’s position – same thing.… Read more »
once again rabbi schochet is there to defend the truth a big thank you!!!
of course they will not broadcast a show which completely exposes them to be the anti Semitic revisionists that they are
THE BBC ARE MEDIA NON PERSONA……IT IS OUR DER STURMER OF OUR TIME……………………….NO RESPECTABLE CHABAD RABBI SHOUYLD BE SEEN ANYWHERE NEAR THESE ANTI SEMITES ANTI ISRAEL PUBLICISTS OF THE ARAB WORLD. FURTHER, TO USE THE TERM PALESTINIAN GOES ENTIRELY AGAINST THE REBBE’;S SHITAH….THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE TERM PALESTINIAN IN THE CONTEXT OF EXCLUSIVITY TO THE ARAB POPULATION LIVING THERE. TENS IF NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS WHO WERE BORN BEFORE 1948 IN PALESTINE, AS IT WAS KNOWN OR CALLED BY THE BRITISH, ARE CALLED PALESTINIAN IN THEIR PASSPORTS. THE ONLY THING WORTH QUOTING TO THE LIKES… Read more »