It's not often that HonestReporting UK is able to strongly commend and recommend a documentary broadcast by the mainstream media. However, respected commentator and journalist David Aaronovitch's "No Excuses For Terror", produced for Channel Five's "Don't Get Me Started" series, is a must-see. According to Channel Five's summary:

Who is really responsible for the suicide bombers that target us? Is it the fault of George Bush or Tony Blair? Are we all somehow to blame? David Aaronovitch, journalist and commentator, has had enough of this argument. He asks how we've got to the point where British Socialists support Islamofascist Terrorism. Aaronovitch explains where the left have gone wrong on Israel, Palestine, the War in Iraq and the War on Terror.

Aaronovitch also criticises how the anti-Israel views of the far-left have permeated the mainstream media and political discourse in the UK. Originally broadcast on 26 September, you can still view this 45-minute documentary in four parts through HonestReporting's Backspin blog.

BBC LOOKS AT REALITY IN GAZA

In another surprise, the BBC demonstrated that it is capable of broadcasting documentaries from the Mideast without the usual anti-Israel invective. Broadcast on 3 October as part of BBC Two's "This World", "The Teaboy of Gaza" focuses on Mahmoud,

a 12-year-old boy who supports his family by selling tea in Gaza's biggest hospital. He struggles to make a living on the wards and has to avoid the shoot-outs that occur inside the hospital itself. Filmed before and during the recent Israeli re-occupation of the Gaza Strip, this observational documentary uses Mahmoud's experiences, as well as remarkable access inside the Hamas prime minister's office, to show the reality of life under the new Hamas government.

However, before anyone thinks that the BBC has undergone a conversion to fairness and balanced coverage, it is worth pointing out that this interesting documentary was actually produced for the BBC by the independent Raw TV company. To view this programme from the BBC's website, click on the button below.

"MILITANTS" V "MILITANTS"?

The current wave of violence and shoot-outs between Fatah and Hamas seems to have the BBC in a state of confusion. HonestReporting UK was particularly struck by the irony of this headline:

Militants threaten Hamas leaders

Having employed the term "militant" to describe everything from a trade union activist to a suicide bomber, perhaps the BBC will now have to come up with a "sliding scale of militancy" to cope with the latest internal Palestinian conflict.

OBSESSION TAKES OFF

HonestReporting has been a proud partner for the film "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West." As interest in the film has grown beyond all expectations, we are excited to announce that the producers of "Obsession" have established an independent organisation to manage the overwhelming demand for screenings, DVDs and general interest enquiries. For the latest screening information, DVD purchase details and all other enquiries, please visit www.obsessionthemovie.com, or e-mail info@obsessionthemovie.com.