BBC 'pushed Hamas lies around the world and chose to minimise Israeli suffering' in Gaza documentary as broadcaster deemed 'not safe'

A leaked internal report claims the BBC's Arabic news channel minimized Israeli suffering and portrayed Israel as the aggressor in the war against Gaza. The report alleges that claims and allegations against Israel were broadcast without proper vetting, while Hamas statements were given more airtime. It suggests a bias within the channel, a tendency to believe the worst about Israel, and an undue emphasis on Hamas's death toll figures. Former director of BBC Television, Danny Cohen, has stated that the BBC is "not safe" under its current management, who he believes should resign for journalistic errors and for hiding them from the public. He contends that the BBC's reputation was prioritized over its charter obligations and that the broadcaster has contributed to spreading Hamas narratives and fueling antisemitism. These criticisms are amplified by a memo from Michael Prescott, former chair of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee. The memo highlights instances of apparent bias, including a guest who made antisemitic remarks appearing on BBC Arabic numerous times and another individual who dehumanized Israelis also appearing frequently. Prescott's memo reportedly indicates a lack of open admission of systemic problems within BBC Arabic by senior leadership. The BBC Arabic channel receives funding from the Foreign Office and the license fee. This c... download the app to read more