The BBC, in the very firing line of terrorism
When BBC reporter Alan Johnston was kidnapped,
everyone was stunned. After all, British and other foreign journalists had been
reporting in
Israel,
Gaza and all other such
parts for umpteen years without incident. Whilst Iraq has becoming something of
an OK Corral where everything goes and each does according to the whim of his
own heart, other parts of the Middle East were, for the most part, always
considered safe territory. Still, it’s not the first time it happened in recent
months, and everyone assumed the matter would be resolved quickly as before.
That wasn’t to be, and now, more than a month on, reports are suggesting that
Johnston may have been
killed by his abductors.
Any time someone is kidnapped or harmed by
extremists, it is nothing short of a tragedy. Frankly, that should make no
difference whether that someone is a journalist or a soldier innocently minding
his post. Think Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev or Yigal Shalit. One can only
begin to imagine the immense pain in the uncertainty being endured by the
families of Alan Johnston, and our hearts go out to them. That pain is no less
than what has been braved by Miki and Shlomo Goldwasser, Aviva and Noam Shalit
and Zvi Regev (Tova Regev passed away several years ago) for almost a year now.
The BBC response in rallying together and
calling for the immediate release of
Johnston,
coupled with the pressure applied to government etc. is to be applauded and no
doubt we could learn from them how to keep beating the drum ourselves. But
there is something else to be learnt as well.
Just prior to the festival of Passover, Noam
Shalit was quoted as saying: “This Passover, we won't celebrate like all of the
people of
Israel,
we will sit together and leave our door open waiting for a miracle…”
We all join him in praying for a miracle that all
missing soldiers, journalists and indeed all other captives and victims of
Islamic Fundamentalism be returned safely to their loved ones.
The BBC, for all of its negative
reporting of
Israel
in the varied crises, now finds itself in the very firing line of terrorism –
the sort Israelis have to confront on an almost daily basis.
It is hoped that when
Johnston is returned safely, they will reassess the
reality on the ground and treat
Israel
with a deeper understanding and a greater sensitivity.
