arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Bias and Misinformation :: 6/5/2002

I don't know what Dr Colin Rubenstein would think of Leunig's work but I do know what he thought of last Monday's Four Corners – a prize-winning BBC investigation into the role of Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the 1982 massacre of refugees in Beirut.

Reporter: 'In 1982, then Defence Minister Sharon presided over an invasion of Lebanon. The stated goal: to root out Palestinian terrorism. During the campaign, Sharon's forces allowed Lebanese militia men to the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. At least 800 civilians were killed.'
Four Corners 29 April 2002

As Executive Director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, Dr Rubenstein was invited by Four Corners to join an internet forum that would follow the broadcast of the program.

He declined and launched instead a campaign to have the ABC cancel the documentary or repackage it in ways to make it more favourable to Ariel Sharon.

'The timing is outrageous and the decision to show this program now, even though it has nothing specific to do with current developments in the Middle East, is about as clear a case of bias as the ABC has ever exhibited.'
AIJAC email

Hold on Dr Rubenstein: in the long history of whinging about the ABC, that is a mighty big claim!

These sorts of campaigns are part of the rough and tumble of public life and public broadcasting, and this one happening in the shadow of the controversy over deaths in the Jenin refugee camp.

Hundreds answered the council's call – and that's fine, even if one or two of the emails were a bit rich:

'The end game is to drive the Jews out of the Middle East, which speaks sweet music to Islamic hatred, plus an uninterrupted flow of petrodollars and global trade to the European coffers of greed and progress at the expense of Jewish blood.'
Email to Four Corners

The trouble was that those protesters who'd never seen the show were relying on Dr Rubenstein's accusations of bias, bad faith and bad journalism. In particular, he claimed Judge Richard Goldstone, a former war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations, was misrepresented in this pivotal exchange.

Reporter: 'I understand that as a judge of a South African court you don't want to get into labelling people in other countries as war criminals but in your assessment of command responsibility, isn't it reasonable to say that if responsibility goes all the way to the top, to the person that gave the orders, that potentially makes Ariel Sharon a war criminal?'
Judge Richard Goldstone: Well it depends very much on the facts. But if the person who gave the command knows, or should know on the facts available to him or her that it is a situation where innocent civilians are going to be injured or killed, then that person is responsible. In fact, in my book more responsible than the people who carry out the orders.'
Four Corners 29 April 2002
Watch the video »

That packs a mighty wallop – and ever since the documentary first went to air in Britain last June, lobbyists like Colin Rubenstein have insisted that Goldstone was misused or misled by the BBC.

Colin Rubenstein and his Council repeated these just such allegations in emails, a press release and a letter of protest to the ABC:

'…Justice Richard Goldstone …has since said that he never agreed to speak about the Sharon case at all …He implies that his comments were thus misrepresented or taken out of context in the editing process.'
Rubenstein letter to the ABC

But that isn't true.

From the time Goldstone saw the documentary, he has repeatedly said he has no complaint to make to the BBC.

Maybe Rubenstein didn't believe this when it was reported last July in the Jerusalem Post by the documentary's maker Fergal Keane.

'Judge Richard Goldstone …is happy with the way his contribution to the film was used and stands by everything he said.'
Jerusalem Post

But Dr Rubenstein really should have believed it when Goldstone told him so directly last Monday.

The lobbyist contacted the judge in South Africa hoping he would make representations to the ABC. We know Goldstone refused because we contacted him too – and this is what he said to us.

'I was contacted by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and informed them in a reply e-mail that I was not misrepresented by the BBC programme There was thus no reason for me to contact the ABC.'
Letter to Media Watch from Goldstone

Dr Rubenstein has not publicly retracted any of his attacks as a result of learning this from Goldstone. The next day, he had another go at the program, this time in the Age where he included Judge Goldstone among those in the documentary who:

'…also claim they were misled by the BBC…'
Melbourne Age 30 April 2002

Now, let's get this straight once and for all: Judge Goldstone has no complaints to make about the program. He says he was not misled and not misquoted. He believes his meaning is clear. And he stands by what he says. OK?

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council gives itself this job description on its website:

'…to highlight and counteract instances of anti-Israeli bias and misinformation in the Australian media.'
AIJAC website

Dr Rubenstein, we have no quarrel with that cause, but we don't think you're advancing it by spreading misleading information of your own.