ITV removes Big Brother episode over pro-Palestine t-shirt, apologises to anti-Palestinians

Broadcaster apologises and edits footage after complaints from pro-Israel groups yet allows right-wing views unchecked

ITV has removed, edited and re-published an episode of its ‘Big Brother’ series in which a contestant wore a t-shirt in supporting Palestine.

Psychologist Ali Bromley wore a shirt showing the watermelon that has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance and freedom – but removed the episode and apologised, after complaints from pro-Israel pressure groups. It said:

We regret that the implications of this particular item of clothing were not fully understood in our bag checks or prior to broadcast of (Tuesday)’s show. We apologise to any viewers who have been offended by the broadcast and assure viewers that Big Brother was unaware of the implications of the image.

The item of clothing has been removed from the house. The housemate has been spoken to and they have expressed that they are unaware of the implications and did not wish to cause any harm or offence. Any offensive messaging associated with the image does not reflect the values or beliefs of Big Brother.

Far right views expressed by some contestants have not been edited.

The Sky deletes its video of Falter claiming he was only trying to cross the road – SKWAWKBOX so-called ‘Campaign against Antisemitism’ (CAA), which was set up as Israel killed Palestinians in its 2014 assault on Gaza has been described as the ‘Campaign against Palestinians’ and has , said it had submitted a complaint to ITV and demanded to know:

How did the show’s staff allow this shirt to be worn, let alone broadcast it on national television?

Opponents of genocide and occupation have previously called for the group to lose its registration as a charity for existing

to smear and libel opponents of Israel’s apartheid regime.

Jewish activist Tony Greenstein, who launched a petition for the removal of CAA’s charitable status, wrote:

A cursory search of its archives reveals almost nothing on fascist groups, who are anti-Semitic holocaust deniers.  There are however 21 entries for Jewish Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, who supports the Palestinians, 70 entries for Jeremy Corbyn and 29 for Shami Chakrabarti – all of them hostile.  There were 8 for Theresa May, but only to congratulate her!

The CAA’s purpose is to limit freedom of speech by attacking as ‘anti-Semitic’ opponents of the Israeli state.  Please support this petition.

ITV subsequently republished the ‘offending’ episode with the pro-Palestinian logo edited out.

UK broadcasters have frequently aided Israel in its genocide by, first and foremost, refusing to call it genocide or to report on the findings of the International Court of Justice putting Israel on trial for that crime – and by failing to report on Israel’s murder of journalists and other war crimes, as well as often refusing to challenge Israel’s claims, when it has slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians, to only target ‘terrorists’ and not to have bombed schools, hospitals and aid workers.

The current and previous UK governments, likewise, have ignored Israel’s many atrocities while rushing to condemn every act of retaliation against it.

Israel has killed as many as two hundred thousand Palestinians, mostly women and children, while maiming many more and starving almost two million people in Gaza. In Skwawkbox’s view, to pose as neutral by editing out a symbol of Palestinian freedom is to take a side – the wrong one.

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