In a surrender to Israeli diplomatic pressure, BBC officials in London have banned their staff in Britain and the Middle East from referring to Israel's policy of killing its guerrilla opponents as "assassination".
BBC reporters have been told to use Israel's own euphemism, "targeted killings".
BBC journalists were astonished when assignments editor Malcolm Downing sent out a memorandum stating that the word assassinations "should only be used for high-profile political assassinations".
There were, he said, "lots of other words for death".
Israeli diplomats have been lunching with BBC officials and complaining that coverage was anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian.
Up to 60 Palestinian activists and numerous civilians, including two children killed last week, have fallen victim to Israeli death squads or missile-firing Israeli helicopter pilots.
The White House has gently chided Israel about these attacks, but already the BBC has been using the phrase "targeted attacks".
The Palestinian killing of Israelis, however, is referred to as "murder" or "assassination".
Downing's memorandum says "assassination" can be used only "sparingly" and with "attribution".
The Israeli campaign is, in fact, far from "targeted". In the first such killings, two middle-aged Palestinian women died. After its initial report, the BBC dropped all reference to the female victims.
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Touchy BBC boss finds a new phrase for Mideast death
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