On 11 January 2024, South Africa presented its oral submissions in respect of an application for interim measures, alleging Israel is in breach of The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“the Genocide Convention”). South Africa’s submissions were not live-streamed, nor were they covered in any detail in any news bulletins. You, instead, live-streamed the current Post Office Enquiry.
On 12 January 2024 you live-streamed the Israeli response to the application in full. The Post Office Enquiry, nevertheless, is still ongoing today.
You have favoured broadcasting the oral defence of a nation-state to the most heinous of allegations of war crimes, while failing to broadcast the application itself setting out those allegations of war crimes.
Only presenting one side of what is possibly one of the most important international conflict cases in recent memory is, frankly, extraordinary. On the face of it, it is blatantly biased behaviour, favouring the legal arguments of one nation over others, and in direct violation of your obligation of fair, accurate and balanced reporting.
I wish to know who made the decision to show only the Israeli defence of the allegations and not the allegations themselves, what informed the decision, what considerations were taken into account when making the decision and what, if any, political direction or advice was received by the BBC which may have influenced the decision.