LONDON — The fighting in Gaza is quiet, at least for now, but it has sparked an uproar in Britain, where two major broadcasters are under fire for refusing to air an emotional charity appeal to help Palestinian victims there.
The conflict pits the British Broadcasting Corp. and Rupert Murdoch’s burgeoning Sky News empire — which maintain they must protect their journalistic impartiality — against British lawmakers and protesters demanding that the Gaza appeal be shown.
It also offers an insight into the difficulties raised by broadcasting anything to do with the turmoil in the Middle East.
The conflict in Gaza has ignited passions throughout Britain, where sympathy for the plight of Palestinian civilians is generally high.
Lawmakers and charities that object to the BBC and Sky News’ decision not to air the appeal say the broadcasters are denying viewers the chance to learn about the horrendous situation civilians face in Gaza so they can, if they wish, make contributions that would help provide badly needed food, water and medicine. The Associated Press
