The BBC has removed a documentary about children in Gaza during the genocide due to finding out that the narrator of the documentary was the son of a Hamas member. What role did his father have? Was he a high-ranking member of the Al-Qassam brigades, Hamas’ armed wing? Was he an important member of Hamas’ cabinet perhaps? He was neither of these things, it turns out that he was the deputy agricultural minister. Despite the fact that this is a rather minor position in Hamas’ administration, and the boy was only doing the narration, this was enough for the BBC to pull the entire documentary.
This row has raised questions about the BBC’s impartiality on Israel and Palestine, with the Campaign Against Antisemitism and other groups claiming that the BBC’s decision to run this documentary demonstrates a bias against Israel.
This accusation of pro-Palestine bias in the BBC is complicated by looking at the track record the BBC has when it comes to reporting on Palestine – in terms of the language used when reporting, what the BBC reports on, and importantly what they choose not to report on. The fact that there is even an attempt from people to claim that there is a pro-Palestinian bias in the BBC shows truly how coddled and babied Israel supporters such as the CAA and Jake Wallis Simons are. They live in a dream world, one where they ostensibly see themselves as the underdogs, misaligned by the press and the world at large, whilst simultaneously receiving sympathetic news coverage and the support of the most powerful country on the planet.
The BBC appears to have a policy of treating Palestinian accounts with incredulity. Every mention of casualty figures in Gaza originating from the Gazan health ministry is caveated by the description of it being “Hamas-run,” giving these figures the impression that these figures are not to be trusted. On the other hand, Israeli accusations of atrocities are never caveated in the same way.
The BBC Middle-East Online Editor proudly displays a signed letter from Benjamin Netanyahu (which he describes as lovely) in his office like a starstruck teenager would frame a photo of Harry Styles, alongside a photo of him next to a former Israeli ambassador to the UK. The idea that this is a man who would exhibit no pro-Israel bias or allow pro-Palestinian bias is laughable, and the fact that he has been allowed to stay in such an important post where such obvious bias of his is present is a stain upon the BBC’s claims of “impartiality.”
“A building in need of a clean – BBC New Broadcasting House, Manchester” by Bods is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.