BBC Apologizes to Israel for
Not Submitting to Censorship
The BBC has bowed to an
Israeli demand for a written apology from its deputy bureau chief in Jerusalem,
Simon Wilson, who was barred from the country for failing to submit for censorship
an interview with the nuclear whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu.
-- Guardian, 3/12/05
March
21, 2005
Dear friends,
Since
when are the media required to submit articles to the government for censorship
before publishing them? And why would a news article ever be required to
submit to a foreign government for censorship? Yet this is what is happening,
even with highly-esteemed BBC. Please help to work towards greater freedom of
the press by spreading this news to your friends, colleagues, and any media
contacts you might have. By spreading this important information, each one of
us can make a difference in helping to build a better world. For more on information
suppression in the major media, see http://www.WantToKnow.info/mediacover-up
With best wishes,
Fred Burks for the WantToKnow.info
Team
BBC says sorry to Israel
Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
Saturday March 12, 2005
The Guardian
The BBC has
bowed to an Israeli demand for a written apology from its deputy bureau chief
in Jerusalem, Simon Wilson, who was barred from the country for failing to submit
for censorship an interview with the nuclear whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu.
Mr Wilson was allowed to return to Israel on Thursday after signing a letter
to the government acknowledging that he defied the law by ignoring demands from
the security service and military censors to view tapes of an interview with
Mr Vanunu after he was released from 19 years in prison last year.
The climbdown
has angered some BBC journalists, who say it will compromise their work in Israel.
The agreement
was to have remained confidential, but the BBC unintentionally posted details
on its website before removing them a few hours later.
Officials of Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, demanded a letter of apology
and a promise not to re-offend when the authorities refused to extend Mr Wilson's
work permit at the end of last year and barred him from re-entering Israel.
At the time, the BBC said it could not meet such a demand.
The BBC website said Mr Wilson had now acknowledged to the Israeli government
that he was in the wrong.
"He
confirms that after the Vanunu interview he was contacted by the censors and
was asked to give them the tapes. He did not do so. He regrets the difficulties
this caused," the BBC statement said.
"He undertakes to obey the regulations in future and understands that
any further violation will result in his visa being revoked."
Mr Wilson was not available for comment.
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