BBC condemned for mistranslating Arabic word for ‘Jew’ to ‘Israeli’ in Gaza film
May 17, 2019 1:19:10 GMT
Post by dividavi on May 17, 2019 1:19:10 GMT
jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/bbc-condemned-for-mistranslating-arabic-word-for-jew-to-israeli-in-gaza-film/
BBC condemned for mistranslating Arabic word for ‘Jew’ to ‘Israeli’ in Gaza film
Broadcaster accused of "playing down" virulent antisemitic nature of Palestinian incitement in Monday night's documentary by distorting the subtitles FIVE times.
By MATHILDE FROT
May 14, 2019, 2:57 pm 9
The BBC has been accused of “playing down” antisemitism after the Arabic word for Jew was mistranslated to Israeli in the English subtitles for a documentary on Gaza border clashes.
The film ‘One Day in Gaza’, which focused on last year’s deadly mass protests against the opening of a new US embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, aired yesterday evening on BBC Two.
The 60-minute documentary, which contained exclusive videos from Hamas and the IDF, marked a year since one of the deadliest days of violence in the Gaza Strip.
Among the Palestinian protesters interviewed, 24-year-old Bader Saleh said in Arabic: “I’m not one for fighting or burning tyres, but when I went I was convinced by it.
“The revolutionary songs, they excite you, they encourage you to rip a Jew’s head off.”
But the English translation of Saleh’s remarks offered by the BBC refers to an “Israeli”, not a “Jew”.
This was just one of at least five instances of the Arabic word for “Jew” (Yahud) being mistranslated to “Israeli” in the subtitles
Later, Saleh also said: “I was really close to the fence and I could see this Jewish soldier with his gun. I could even see the gun he was carrying.”
Similarly, protester Hanan Abu Jamee’a is quoted as saying: “Some of us distracted the Israelis with stones and molotov cocktails.”
But she in fact employed the Arabic word for Jews to refer to IDF soldiers.
In another instance, Reem Abu Ermana, whose 14-year-old daughter Wissal was shot in the head during the clashes, said: “After a while [Wissal] became the sniper’s enemy.
“They would pull the car tyres with a wire to act as a cover for the young people, so the smoke would protect them from the Jews.”
But according to the subtitles, she referred to IDF soldiers as “Israelis”.
Luke Akehurst, director of We Believe in Israel, condemned the editorial decision.
“It’s disgraceful that the antisemitic aspect of the incitement going on in Gaza was played down by the BBC One Day in Gaza documentary by deliberately mistranslating the word ‘Yehud’ as ‘Israeli’, not ‘Jew’,” he said.
“Hamas are an explicitly antisemitic organisation whose hatred of, and desire to harm, Jews, goes far beyond any legitimate political dispute with Israel.”
Board of Deputies senior vice President Sheila Gewolb said: “The anti-Jewish racism in the phrase ‘rip a Jew’s head off’ is there for all to see.
“The BBC should explain why viewers were given a subtitle in which the word Jew was substituted for Israeli.
“Does the BBC believe that its job is to protect the perpetrators from the their own racism?”
Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt criticised the translation, writing on social media: “Yet another blatant example of the failure to take the scourge of antisemitism seriously.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “We sought expert advice on the translation before broadcast and we believe the translation of ‘Yehudi’ as ‘Israeli’ in this documentary is both accurate and true to the speakers’ intentions.”
(My comments - I wonder who supplied this expert advice to BBC. In English, the words Israeli, Jew and Zionist are not quite synonymous. Arabic has separate words as well and they respectively sound like thus: 'iisrayiyli yahudi sahyuni. I think most English speakers would agree that the Arabic sound close to their English versions. Face it, this wasn't an honest translation by BBC. It was their method of toning down the genocidal aims of Palestinians.
However, I like the statements from the Gazans the BBC interviewed and later mistranslated: (1) "Some of us distracted the Israelis with stones and Molotov cocktails" (2) "To act as cover for the young people, so the smoke would protect them from the Israelis" and (3) "to rip an Israeli's head off". Whatever happened to those peaceful protests we've heard so much about. Seems like they were acting in collaboration with terrorists trying to sneak into Israel.)
And, for an extra treat, here's some responses from readers to the Jewish Press website:
N.L. Katz
I am a Hebrew and Arabic speaker among other languages. I can state here, without any hesitation, that we, Jews - in and out of the liberal democratic and sovereign nation-state of the Jewish people - are referred by the Arabs, interchangeably as Jews and Zionists, just as the anti-Jewish racists / antisemites in Labour do. And, I can also state, without any hesitation, that the BBC as well as other news organisations, attempt to launder the language so as not to allow for the Arab thugs to come across negatively in the eyes of western viewers/listeners/readers.
I am a Hebrew and Arabic speaker among other languages. I can state here, without any hesitation, that we, Jews - in and out of the liberal democratic and sovereign nation-state of the Jewish people - are referred by the Arabs, interchangeably as Jews and Zionists, just as the anti-Jewish racists / antisemites in Labour do. And, I can also state, without any hesitation, that the BBC as well as other news organisations, attempt to launder the language so as not to allow for the Arab thugs to come across negatively in the eyes of western viewers/listeners/readers.
Andy Moolman
For the BBC to still add that they had expert "advice" on the translation, indicates their bland indifference to any criticism. Antisemetic scum.
For the BBC to still add that they had expert "advice" on the translation, indicates their bland indifference to any criticism. Antisemetic scum.
Paul Horsfield
Can't say I'm too surprised at this revelation, the BBC is renowned for it's pro Hamas and/or(insert Arab terrorist group here) bias, you only have to scan their news reports from the area to see that.
Can't say I'm too surprised at this revelation, the BBC is renowned for it's pro Hamas and/or(insert Arab terrorist group here) bias, you only have to scan their news reports from the area to see that.
