A BBC correspondent writes to director general about the corporation’s dire coverage of Gaza

BBC Director General Tim Davie was grilled over the corporation's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war during a meeting with conservative MPs

NewsDeskNovember 10, 2023

0 77 2 minutes read

A BBC correspondent based in Beirut, Rami Ruhayem, has written a letter to Director General Tim Davie about the corporation’s dire coverage of Gaza.

The letter is reported to have been sent to BBC Director–General Tim Davie via an email that was sent on 24 October.

However, the excerpts of the e-mail are now doing rounds on various media voicing ‘the gravest possible concerns’ about BBC coverage of unfolding events in Gaza.

The letter reads:

‘It appears the BBC is keeping a lot of highly significant and relevant information, including extensive evidence, expert opinion, and historical context, from the public. Members of the public cannot possibly form an informed opinion or a basic understanding of the unfolding events without access to such information.

‘It also appears the BBC could be reinforcing Israeli propaganda meant to dehumanize the Palestinians.

‘This is not about mistakes here and there, or even about systemic bias in favor of Israel. The question now is a question of complicity.‘

More here: jadaliyya.com/Details/45466

On 27 October, the London-based weekly, The Jewish Chronicle, published excerpts of the same email in an article entitled ‘BBC correspondent advocates using ‘settler-colonialism’ to describe Israel’, and used it to portray BBC coverage as biased against the Israeli state.

It was reported on 26-Oct-2023 that BBC Director General Tim Davie was grilled over the corporation’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war during a meeting with conservative MPs.

As reported, during the discussion with the 1922 Committee, Tim Davie was challenged about the BBC’s refusal to label Hamas as “terrorists,” a stance that has drawn criticism from some Conservative MPs and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

“There’s one thing today that’s united the whole of the backbenches and that’s a disagreement with the DG (director-general) about Hamas being a terrorist organization and the ability to say so,” one MP present at the discussion reported telling the BBC.

Furthermore, Davie was confronted by UK Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, who said he had “never been so disappointed” in the BBC.

“I worry that the organization has lost the confidence of many people, and in particular the British Jewish community,” Jenrick said, adding, “That loss of confidence began with the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas terrorists. Will you reconsider that and change your editorial policy?”

While, Tim Davie dismissed the suggestions and upheld the current BBC policy, asserting the importance of maintaining broadcast impartiality.