The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has been pleading for the release of the BBC journalist Alan Johnston, abducted in Gaza.

He likens Johnston’s fate to his own experience of imprisonment by Idi Amin – the shadowy nearest anyone gets to criticism of the Palestinians. There is an implication here, perhaps, that there might just be brutality and injustice and other kinds of nastiness within the angelic Palestinian community, who are normally beyond criticism. He doesn’t say this openly, however. No Church leader does.

“But my faith in Christ, my knowledge of the prayers being said on my behalf, these two things were instrumental in being able to survive each day in captivity.” He added: “My continuing prayers for Alan Johnston’s freedom are grounded in the belief that the journalistic enterprise is a noble and worthy one.”

Yes, I’m sure the “journalistic enterprise is a noble and worthy one”. According to his UK Palestinian supporters, however, he was not an impartial journalist. He was a Palestinian propagandist. His work was to contribute to the view of them as a purely victim people, whose faults (if they have any) are really the fault of their Jewish neighbours. This constant media brainwashing is what makes it difficult for many people to offer the criticism the Palestinians often so richly deserve.

From the BBC's own horsey mouth: UK Palestinians: BBC "Works for Us".

Restaurant owner Mohammed Zomlot, who is from Gaza, said the Palestinian community in the UK wanted to support Mr Johnston.
“I feel that we are the people who really should care about Gaza, and who should care about Alan,” he said.
“Because Alan, at the end of the day, he’s one of the people who cares about us and he works for us, and that’s why we have a responsibility to protect him, and we have to ask for his immediate release.”