Soon after the family of one of the child victims of the 2001 bombing in Jerusalem by Hamas terrorist criticised the BBC for giving a platform to advocate for one of the convicted terrorists, condemnation and criticism over the BBC’s attempt to whitewash terrorism have gained strength.
Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) officer and MP Bob Blackman has written to the BBC to remove the content projecting convicted Hamas terrorist as a victim. Ahlam Tamimi was sentenced for killing 15 Israelis in the 2001 Sbarro Pizza parlour bombing in Jerusalem. She was featured on the BBC Arabic TV service in a segment of the program ‘Trending’ where she had appealed to King Abdullah II of Jordan to intervene so that she can reunite with her husband. Her husband is also a convicted murderer.
MUST READ: CFI Officer @BobBlackman calls on BBC to “immediately” remove YouTube videos of a BBC programme featuring a convicted Hamas terrorist.
— CFoI (@CFoI) October 19, 2020
Mr Blackman wrote that it was “understandably deeply distressing for the families of her victims”
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Blackman urged BBC to apologize to the families of victims
In his letter, Blackman has urged the BBC to remove all the content from its Youtube channel where it gave space to Tamimi. He also stated that the BBC should apologize to the families of victims of the 2001 bombing. He mentioned that the UK’s Foreign Development Office (FCDO) has a policy of non-engagement with Hamas in its entirely. UK recognized Hamas as a terror group as a whole, which is subject to UK Terrorism and Terrorist Financing Sanctions.
He said, “Tamimi masterminded the 2001 Sbarro Pizza parlour bombing in Jerusalem and escorted the suicide bomber to the pizzeria. Giving a platform for Tamimi’s appeal to be reunited with her husband (also a convicted murderer) is understandably deeply distressing for the families of her victims, who will never be reunited with their loved ones.”
He has urged BBC to seek to remedy the situation by removing the videos. He also asked for clarification on the BBC’s editorial guidelines for such coverage. He further added, “Dedicating more coverage to the ongoing extradition attempts by the US to bring Tamimi to justice would be a welcome step.”
The family of Malki Roth, who was killed at the age of 15 in the Sbarro Pizza parlour bombing in Jerusalem in 2001, has condemned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for providing its platform to her remorseless murderer.
The 2001 Sbarro Pizza parlour bombing
In August 2001, Ahlam Tamimi provided support to a suicide bomber to execute a terrorist attack in Jerusalem. She gave the guitar-laden with explosives to a suicide bomber, who detonated the bomb in the shop, killing 15 people, 8 of them children. The remorseless terrorist was convicted and sentenced to 16-years of rigorous imprisonment after her role in the bombing came to light. However, she was released after ten years of incarceration as a part of a prisoner exchange deal for captured Israeli Defense Forces’ soldier Gilad Shalit between Israel and Hamas.
She is currently living freely in Jordan. Her husband Nizar Tamimi was released in the Shalit prisoner exchange. He was convicted of terrorism after he murdered an Israeli student in 1993. Nizar Tamimi was pressurised by the Jordanian authorities to leave the country for Qatar on October 1. Tamimi is on the Most Wanted list of the US; however, Jordan denied extraditing her, stating the 1995 extradition agreement with the United States that has not yet been formalized by Jordan’s government. The US has offered a bounty of $5 million for her capture and conviction.
