BBC Faces Internal Backlash Over Gaza Coverage Bias Claims
More than 100 BBC employees have signed a letter addressed to Director-General Tim Davie, accusing the broadcaster of acting as a propaganda outlet for the Israeli government in its coverage of the war in Gaza.
The letter also gained support from over 300 other media professionals, including renowned figures like actors Miriam Margolyes and Charles Dance, and filmmaker Mike Leigh, signaling growing discontent over the broadcaster's editorial direction.
The letter
criticizes
the BBC for failing to meet its editorial standards and claims that its Gaza coverage falls short of reflecting the scale of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. It further alleges that much of the network's output resembles public relations material in favor of the Israeli government and military.
The controversy comes in the wake of public outcry over the BBC's decision to broadcast a live performance by the band Pop Vylan at Glastonbury Festival, during which a member shouted 'Death to the IDF.' The incident sparked wider scrutiny over the broadcaster's editorial decisions regarding Middle East coverage.
A BBC spokesperson responded by affirming that open internal editorial debate is vital and reiterated the corporation's commitment to impartial coverage of the conflict. The network pointed to documentaries such as *Life and Death in Gaza* and *Gaza 101* as examples of balanced reporting.
The open letter also referenced alleged internal censorship, with employees reportedly facing accusations of bias for sharing articles critical of Israel on social media. Content producers also reported editorial pressure under the guise of neutrality.
The situation escalated following the BBC's decision to withdraw the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack from its broadcast schedule, despite the film receiving prior approval from editorial policy teams.
The film was later picked up by Channel 4. While the BBC stated the decision was based on the film not passing final reviews and concern that it could appear biased, internal sources cited comments from contributors, such as journalist Ramita Navai, who had previously called Israel a 'rogue state,' as possible influencing factors.
Signatories of the letter called the decision politically motivated, reflecting what they described as a culture of 'editorial fear' within the organization. They also demanded the resignation of BBC board member Robbie Gibb due to his links to The Jewish Chronicle, which the letter claimed has published anti-Palestinian content.
The BBC denied any board involvement in the documentary's removal, stating that its Editorial Standards Committee had no role in the decision.
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