Israel is only country not to have a capital city according to the BBC's Olympics website, while "East Jerusalem" is listed as the capital of "Palestine" • Following protest by Israeli authorities, site is updated to list Jerusalem as Israel's "seat of government, though most foreign embassies are in Tel Aviv."
Israel Hayom Staff
The world according to the BBC: Website says "East Jerusalem" is capital of "Palestine."
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Photo credit: Yoav Ari Dudkevitch |
When is a capital city not a capital city? When it's Jerusalem.
The British public broadcaster, the BBC, devoted much effort on Thursday to trying to find a way to list capital cities for both the Israeli and Palestinian delegations on its Olympic Games website.
The BBC's dedicated Olympics website, set up ahead of next week's London 2012 games, initially listed "East Jerusalem" as the capital of "Palestine." Israel, however, was left without any capital at all.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Foreign Press Advisor and Spokesperson Mark Regev wrote to the BBC's Middle East Bureau Chief Paul Danahar on Thursday to protest the decision. "I am dismayed by the BBC's decision to discriminate against Israel on the BBC's Olympic website," he wrote. "Every country (and non-country) participating in the London 2012 games has been given a page on your website with background information about the country, including mention of the capital city. Every country (and non-country) except Israel."
The BBC's website was initially updated to read under Israel: "Seat of government: Jerusalem, though most foreign embassies are in Tel Aviv," while East Jerusalem was left as the capital for Palestine. The site was then updated again to say under Palestine: "Seat of intended government: East Jerusalem.”
The compromise has not satisfied Israel and Regev wrote again to the BBC on Thursday, saying that Israel was "still discriminated against" on the website. "Unlike all the other countries listed, in Israel's case our capital Jerusalem is not classified by the BBC as such, but rather as a 'seat of government.' I kindly request that Israel's capital be identified accurately on your website."
