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Video Shows Palestinians Faking Injuries

BBC falls for terrible acting in Gaza

by
Adam Chandler
November 15, 2012
Screenshot of BBC Video(YouTube)
Screenshot of BBC Video(YouTube)

In this BBC dispatch, as commentators give their analysis of the Gaza conflagration, the camera breaks to footage of presumably injured Palestinians fleeing from what appears to be an area struck by Israeli forces.

Watch what happens in the video.

2:10: The first focal point is a suspiciously unscathed man in a tan jacket who is lifted by a group of men and carried away.

2:23: Next, a medic is shown carrying another spotlessly clean medic Platoon-style until he seemingly tires out and simply puts the man back on his feet.

2:38: The next image is of what appears to be a mother shepherding two children down the road, perhaps totally frightened, but unharmed. I genuinely felt upset watching this seemingly terrified trio flee until they ran smack into the first “injured” man in the tan jacket, who is now standing around, one sandwich shy of a lunch break on set.

With devastation raging in the Middle East right now–especially in Syria, where, according to reports, the death toll has now eclipsed 37,000–that the BBC would air footage that is so blatantly staged insults the victims of violence in places like Kiryat Malachi in Israel and Homs in Syria, where civilians were deliberately targeted today.

While it’s obviously true that Israeli forces are attacking targets in Gaza, it’s unbelievable that the BBC would air something like this without vetting it first. As for the participants, unfortunately there are already awards given out for bad acting called Razzies. But these performances are lousy on a whole different level. Maybe we should award them Gazzies?

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.