More than 100 staff accuse BBC Israel of bias in reporting

BBC has been accused by more than 100 of its staff of pro-Israel “bias” in its coverage of Israel’s more than year-long war in the Gaza Strip, British media reported Saturday.

In a letter sent to BBC director Tim Davey and CEO Deborah Turness, staff also criticized the broadcaster for a lack of “accurate, evidence-based and consistently fair” journalism, accusing it of “failing” to adhere to its own editorial standards.

Letter first reported Independent on Friday, more than 100 signatures were signed by the British broadcaster’s employees, as well as others from members of the media industry, actors, politicians and other public figures.

“Basic journalistic principles are missing when it comes to holding Israel accountable for its actions,” the staff said in the letter.

The signatories also called on the broadcaster to report “without fear or favor” and to “renew its commitment to fairness, accuracy and impartiality” in its reporting on Gaza.

The letter also called BBC apply a number of editorial requirements, such as emphasizing Israel as the culprit in headlines when the army carries out attacks, including “historical context leading up to the events” of October 7, 2023, and “severely challenging” Israeli officials and representatives in interviews.

The letter also contained a demand BBC state explicitly that Israeli forces are prohibiting foreign journalists from entering Gaza.

Talking to Independentone of the signatories of the letter said that BBC published a series of “inhumane and misleading headlines” regarding the killings of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces.

Another signatory said the broadcaster “always views” the Palestinians as an “unreliable source” but “always presents the Israeli version of events” despite ample evidence that the army is spreading false information.

The letter also highlights the alleged shortcomings of other British media outlets, including ITV And Sky News.

BBC denied the letter’s claims, saying that when they “make mistakes or make changes to the way they report,” they are “transparent.”

The broadcaster also added that in its reporting it “does not and cannot reflect any single worldview.”

The public broadcaster has repeatedly been criticized for its coverage of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, mainly regarding Palestinian victims of Israeli violence.

In July this year BBC has described the killing of a disabled Palestinian by Israeli troops as a “lonely death” after 24-year-old Muhammad Bhar, who suffered from Down syndrome, was left for dead by the Israeli army after being mauled by an attack dog that attacked him in Shujaiya.

BBC did not mention Muhammad’s death until the 16th paragraph of the article and decided to talk about the difficulties the 24-year-old faced as a disabled person who survived the war.

A public outcry ensued, causing the broadcaster to delete the original tweet about the story and then change the headline to “Gaza man with Down syndrome attacked by IDF dog and left for dead.”

Similarly, eight BBC staff in the UK wrote a letter last November accusing the broadcaster of using “double standards” in its coverage of Palestinian victims, portraying Hamas as the sole instigator during the war and failing to sympathize with Palestinian victims. Palestinians suffer just like Ukrainians.

At the start of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, there were reports that staff were “found crying” in bathrooms due to BBC reporting of the military attack. Besides, BBC Early coverage of the war prompted veteran reporter Bassam Boonenny to resign from his post BBC North Africa correspondent. Row BBC Arabic Staffers were also scrutinized and taken off air for displaying pro-Palestinian sentiments on social media.

As of Saturday, Israeli forces have killed at least 43,314 Palestinians and are currently intensifying their military campaign in the northern Gaza Strip. Israel’s war has spread to Lebanon, where 2,897 people have been killed since October last year.

Israel’s actions in the regions have been condemned around the world, with many calling them “war crimes” and “genocide.”