The Suez Crisis

There was an interesting programme on BBC2 last night on the Suez crisis or, as it is referred to in the Arab world, the "Triple aggression". I had a few problems with the method of portraying information, such as the ambush of Sharon's unit which was described in moving music. The narrator described 38 Israeli soldiers killed for what should have been a "token battle" organised by the strategists in London, Paris and Tel Aviv. Very touching and dramatic...then in the same breath the narrator describes how around 140 Egyptians or so were killed in the counter attack while defending their country. No touching interviews, no list of names on a marble slab, not even some stirring music. Excuse me but I thought the Israeli's were the aggressors in all of this?

I also noted how this last stab at imperial greatness by France and Britain was described without a hint of irony, and much more emphasis on them than on any Egyptian reactions or points of view, almost like the viewer is encouraged to want the conspirators to succeed. I'm just presenting the view from the other side when I say this, and I know the BBC has always tried to be impartial and accurate. Maybe they just can't help it, I mean is anybody really impartial? It'll be interesting to see what is on next week in the final episode.