Complaint
A listener complained that the phrase “from the river to the sea” was described as “a pro-Palestinian chant”, whereas it was used by Hamas and similar organisations to express the aspiration of eliminating Israel and Jews from Palestine. The programme’s description ignored those Palestinians who wished for a peaceful two-state solution (as well as disregarding the offensiveness of the phrase to Israelis) and reflected bias towards terrorist groups. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The phrase was used in the following exchange:
Comedian 1: The power of words also got Labour MP Andy McDonald suspended from the party for making a speech using the phrase, “from the river to the sea”.
Comedian 2: ...Which is a pro-Palestinian chant and coincidently, Thames Water’s sewage discharge policy.
The ECU did not consider that, in this context, listeners in general would have expected a precise or nuanced description of the phrase in question, or that they would have been materially misled about its meaning and use.
Not Upheld