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Opinion

Exposed: Dispatches’ prejudice over Bicom

Channel 4’s documentary on the UK pro-Israel lobby looks to have a pre-determined agenda

November 12, 2009 10:34
2 min read

On Monday night, Channel 4’s Dispatches programme will focus on what it calls “one of the most powerful… least transparent lobbying groups in the UK”, the pro-Israel lobby. Sadly, the programme seems to have a pre-determined agenda. Some people have suggested that the production team felt compelled to “balance out” their two recent programmes exposing the footprint of radical Islamism in the UK.

I come to this conclusion with a heavy heart, having been led a not-so-merry dance over the past ten days by the programme makers.

Bicom is an advocacy organisation; we work with journalists every day. It is in our DNA to put our side of the story forward and to be transparent. We were willing to offer a spokesperson for interview on the programme and to talk candidly to the producers about all aspects of our work. Last week, every time we attempted to engage with the production company they proved to be obstructive, uncooperative and opaque.

Channel 4 commissioned this Dispatches episode some five months ago but only approached the pro-Israel groups in the last week or so. The producers refused for days on end even to tell us their specific allegations.