BBC axes ‘anti-Semitic' broadcaster
A journalist employed by the BBC has been accused of calling for Israel 'to be dismantled' and appearing to suggest that Jewish people 'are not meant to have a land'.
Osman Ahmed has also been accused of mocking the Israeli victims of Iranian missile strikes by posting videos poking fun at people fleeing towards air raid shelters.
The freelance reporter, who has previously worked for ITN and CNN as well as the BBC, has posted numerous items on social media commenting on the Gaza conflict since Oct 7 2023, when more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered by Hamas gunmen.
He has made posts about the Iranian-Israeli war and has reposted several items on social media that have been described as virulently anti-Semitic.
Following complaints to the BBC, the broadcaster said it would no longer employ Mr Hamed.
'Jewish people are actually not meant to have a land'
One post shared on the London-based reporter's Instagram accounts showed a group of orthodox Jews from a fringe sect attempting to set fire to the flag of Israel with the comment: 'Yes, that's correct. Jewish people who truly understand their religion recognise that Israel is a terrorist state and Jewish people are actually not meant to have a land'.
Another video posted on Mr Ahmed's Instagram with a sweating emoji showed airline passengers fleeing towards a shelter during a recent Iranian missile strike, with the caption: 'Chaos at Ben Gurion Airport as Israelis scramble to flee 'the promised land'.'
Mr Ahmed, who recently worked as a producer on the World Service's Newsday and the BBC's breakfast radio show for listeners in Africa and Asia, has previously also worked for BBC Arabic, the corporation's Arabic language service.
BBC Arabic has been repeatedly criticised for bias against Israel, amid claims that its contributors and presenters have displayed open anti-Semitism and have celebrated Oct 7 as 'armed resistance by the Palestinian people'.
Another social media post on Mr Ahmed's account appeared to suggest Jews were to blame for the destruction of Gaza, juxtaposing a photograph of Jewish refugees arriving in Palestine ahead of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 with the devastated ruins of Gaza following months of Israeli bombardment.
Mr Ahmed responded to the announcement that Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, had decided to ban Palestine Action by sharing a comment stating, 'to learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise'.
'Hateful tweets'
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) said: 'In Ahmed's case, his hateful X tweets and Instagram stories – some posted right next to ones where he mentioned his BBC affiliation – were publicly available online in English for months.
'The national broadcaster's failure to act sooner raises serious questions about whether this was due to complicity or sheer incompetence.'
The Israeli embassy in the UK had previously complained about what it described as Mr Ahmed's anti-Semitic social media posts when he was a contributor to BBC Arabic.
Orly Goldschmidt, spokeswoman for the embassy, said: 'The BBC previously apologised to us for this journalist's actions while he was working with BBC Arabic. Osman [Ahmed] has continued to promote anti-Semitism as a representative of the BBC since.'
A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: 'We are well aware of the problems at the BBC. While the corporation has made some progress in a number of areas, the pace of change has been, at times, painfully slow. The issue of anti-Semitism needs to be a top priority.'
The BBC announced in May that it was launching an independent review of its Middle East coverage, its Arabic service and its broader handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In March, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, called for 'wholesale reform' of BBC Arabic, after a report by Camera accused it of 'appalling anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias '.
A BBC spokesman said: 'Osman Ahmed is a freelancer who is no longer engaged by the BBC. We will not be working with him again. We are clear there is no place for antisemitism on our services.'
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