EDITOR’S NOTE: This edition of Two Outspoken was recorded before British MPs voted to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization and the release of a new Bob Vylan clip calling for the deaths of “every single IDF soldier…” The topics discussed in this episode, and the larger arguments about free speech, censorship, and the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices, still stand.
Despite a horrific attack by Israeli forces on a Gaza cafe frequented by journalists, activists, and local residents that killed at least 30 and injured dozens more, the story making front page news in UK media this week is one condemning a British punk-rap duo over their calls for a free Palestine and “death to the IDF.”
“The BBC devoted more stories and more words to Glastonbury and ‘death to the IDF’ than they did to the actual deaths of Palestinian people on Monday in Gaza,” Mehdi says in the latest episode of Two Outspoken, “which I think is unforgivable, inexcusable, racist, and the BBC has failed time and again.”
Meanwhile, the direct action movement Palestine Action is facing a banning order that would proscribe the group as a terrorist organization, which could result in members or supporters being charged with a criminal offence that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
“In a functioning democracy, you'd expect journalists to start asking some pretty searching questions about proscribing a movement which, by standard definition, obviously isn't terrorism,” Owen says.
Mehdi and Owen also discuss Zeteo’s new documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, which is available now, and the hypocrisy around the BBC’s decision to shelve it due to concerns of partiality.
“That's the Orwellian world we live in now,” Mehdi says.
Paid subscribers to Zeteo can watch the full episode of “Two Outspoken”, where Mehdi and Owen get frank about what’s going on in the UK. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Free subscribers can watch the first 8 minutes of the conversation. Do consider becoming a paid subscriber to Zeteo and skip the paywall every time!
