Hundreds of media figures accuse BBC of acting as ‘PR' for Israel, urge removal of board member

Arab News

3 days ago

LONDON: Hundreds of media professionals, including over 100 current BBC staff, have signed an open letter accusing the broadcaster of acting as 'PR for the Israeli government,' and called for the removal of BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb over alleged conflicts of interest.
The letter, sent to BBC Director-General Tim Davie and the broadcaster's board, follows a string of controversies — including the BBC's live broadcast of anti-Israel chants by the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, and the decision to pull a commissioned documentary on Gaza.
'All too often it has felt that the BBC has been performing PR for the Israeli government and military. This should be a cause of great shame and concern for everyone at the BBC,' the letter stated.
The signatories — which include actress Miriam Margolyes, filmmaker Mike Leigh, actor Charles Dance, and historian William Dalrymple — claim the BBC's coverage of Gaza 'falls short' of its editorial standards and fails to reflect the reality on the ground.
The letter also raises concerns over the BBC's decision to withdraw from airing 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,' a documentary it originally commissioned, which will now be broadcast by Channel 4.
The BBC said it pulled the film because it 'risked creating a perception of partiality.'
'This appears to be a political decision and is not reflective of the journalism in the film,' the letter stated. 'This illustrates precisely what many of us have experienced first hand: an organisation that is crippled by fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.'
Much of the criticism focuses on Gibb, a former head of the BBC's Westminster political team and ex-spin doctor for Prime Minister Theresa May.
Gibb helped lead the consortium that purchased The Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and served as a director until August 2024.
The letter describes his position on the BBC board — including on the editorial standards committee — as 'untenable,' citing the Jewish Chronicle's alleged history of publishing 'anti-Palestinian and often racist content.'
The letter accuses Gibb of a conflict of interest and highlights what it sees as a double standard: 'For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences.
'As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government's involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications. These stories have instead been broken by the BBC's competitors.'
The statement alleges Gibb has a 'conflict of interest' which 'highlights a double standard for BBC content makers who have themselves experienced censorship in the name of 'impartiality.''
The letter further stated: 'In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media.
'By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask licence fee payers to overlook Gibbs's ideological allegiances.'
A BBC spokesperson said: 'Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process.
'We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally.
'Regarding our coverage of Gaza, the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially and has produced powerful coverage from the region.'
The spokesperson added that in addition to 'breaking news, ongoing analysis, and investigations,' the BBC has produced award-winning documentaries such as 'Life and Death in Gaza,' and 'Gaza 101.'