A new pro-Palestinian incident marked the British show “Big Brother” when Khaled Khaled, 23, a candidate eliminated on Friday evening, draped himself in a Palestinian scarf when leaving the house live. The scarf, resembling a keffiyeh and adorned with the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the colors of the PLO flag, was handed to him by a member of the public, while shouts of “Free Palestine” echoed in the background.
This is not the first time that ITV, broadcaster of “Big Brother” in the United Kingdom, has had to deal with an incident linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the start of the war. Last month, the channel issued an official apology after a participant, Elie Bromley, wore a t-shirt displaying a watermelon in the colors of the Palestinian flag drawn on the map of Israel, a viral symbol of protest.
Following protests from pro-Israeli organizations, ITV then took drastic measures: “The episodes concerned have been edited so that Bromley's t-shirt now appears in plain black,” production declared. “All residents’ personal belongings are checked by our production team before entering the house to ensure they comply with the rules and requirements,” they said.
The channel also said: “We regret that the implications of this specific item of clothing were not fully understood during our checks” and “we apologize to viewers offended by the broadcast and assure that the production was not conscious of the meaning of the drawing.” The item of clothing had been removed from the home and the resident confirmed she was unaware of the implications and did not intend to cause harm.
According to the Daily Mail, ITV has yet to respond to Friday night's incident involving Khaled Khaled.
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