RTÉ defends report quoting woman as ready to wear ‘explosive jacket’

RTÉ has defended a television news report on the Gaza conflict broadcast last week in which a Palestinian woman was quoted as being willing to wear an "explosive jacket".

The broadcaster has faced criticism for the report used on the Six One News on July 23rd in which a woman was interviewed from the Gaza Strip.

In the English language voiceover of the woman’s Arabic comments she is quoted as being “ready to wear an explosive jacket and join the fight”.

The use of this excerpt has been criticised as a mistranslation of what the woman with the complainants saying she was actually talking about children dying.

An online petition complaining about the broadcast has been set up which has 1,500 signatories calling for an apology from RTÉ.

A spokeswoman for the broadcaster confirmed it had received a number of complaints although she was unable to confirm the number.

RTÉ last night published a statement including details on the provenance of the report.

In it the broadcaster denies it misinterpreted or misrepresented the views of a woman featured within the footage from Gaza.

RTÉ said the video, provided by the European Broadcasting Union’s news service, contained pictures of a woman with a lengthy sequence of her 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 or any intention to cause confusion.”

RTÉ has also published the information it received along with the footage.

The following is information received by RTÉ accompanying the footage:

Date Shot: 23-JUL-2014

Location: GAZA

Country: PALESTINE, STATE OF

Sound: NATURAL Language: ARABIC

Various parts of Gaza streets are under the rubble. A four storey building collapsed last night leaving more victims among defenseless civilians. EPTV camera was there the moment the building turned into dust.

Shotlist of EPTV correspondent in the street along with residents.

10:27:54:09 Forward zoom of building collapsing live next to ambulance.

10:28:09:22 SOUNDBITE (Arabic), male resident: “There’s one dead their with a severed head, we also found a dead little girl. Down there, we found a dead woman and the corpses of three little girls around her.”

10:28:25:04 - VS of the survivor being rescued

10:28:29:09 - VS of ambulances rushing in the wounded to hospital

10:28:42:24 SOUNDBITE (Arabic), woman in shock and awe shouting: “Four to five children die every single day, where are you people? ...a four-storey building fell on their heads, it is horrific, Allah is great, there’s no god but Allah and Mohamed his prophet.”

10:28:57:20 SOUNDBITE (Arabic), woman crying out in despair: " Stop the war, stop the truce, never say Hamas, never say Fatah, just say Nation of Allah. Listen to me all, I am ready to wear the explosive jacket and joint our fighters...all our children are dying..."

10:29:27:13 - Close of dead teenager wrapped in shroud

10:29:34:05 - GVs of crowd holding stretcher down the street