Updated 7.55pm
THE NATIONAL BROADCASTER has apologised for any confusion that may have been caused by one of its news bulletins on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The report from 23 July, shows woman in Gaza, shouting in the street. The accompanying voiceover says: “This Palestinian said she is ready to strap on an explosive device and fight”.
However a petition set up after the broadcast claimed this was a mistranslation of what the woman had said and that she was actually talking about children dying.
The online petition called for an immediate apology from RTÉ and has already been signed by more than 1,400 people.
In a response to TheJournal.ie on the issue, RTÉ said the report was not a misinterpretation of what the woman said.
It said the pictures and information came from a news service and the material contained a lengthy sequence of footage of the woman shouting in the street.
The woman begins by referring to children dying, but she then goes on to say that she is ready to wear an explosive jacket and join the fight. The voiceover on the report was not intended to be a direct translation. The reporter was paraphrasing the woman’s view – clearly stated in the information RTÉ received – that she was ready to resist the Israeli offensive.
“There was no attempt on RTÉ’s part to misconstrue the woman’s message and we apologise for any confusion caused,” the broadcaster added.
The segment in question can be seen at 1.25 in this video.
Originally published 9.41am
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