Page Reader AI | ‘We’ll burn Jews like Hitler did’, says BBC Arabic contributor

‘We’ll burn Jews like Hitler did’, says BBC Arabic contributor

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BBC Arabic Controversy

The BBC is facing criticism for using freelance contributors who have expressed antisemitic views and anti-Israel sentiment on social media. This includes comments condoning violence against Israelis and celebrating attacks on civilians.

Key Figures

Qannan: A contributor who expressed support for violence and referred to a Palestinian terrorist as a "hero."
Ahmed Alagha: Another contributor accused of dehumanizing Israelis and referring to Jews as "devils."
Elzaenen: A contributor whose social media activity also drew criticism.

These individuals, while not BBC staff, were used as freelancers, raising concerns about the BBC's vetting process and responsibility for their content.

Criticisms and Response

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) and others accuse BBC Arabic of anti-Israel bias and a failure to maintain journalistic standards. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for "wholesale reform" of BBC Arabic.

The BBC responded by stating that the contributors were not staff members and that they were unaware of the social media activity prior to their appearances. They also claim they are unable to directly access Gaza to gather information and rely on eyewitness accounts.

Main Points

Antisemitic and anti-Israel statements by BBC Arabic contributors.
Concerns about the BBC's vetting process and accountability.
Calls for reform of BBC Arabic's editorial standards.
The BBC's defense citing reliance on freelance contributors and lack of access to Gaza.

Writing on Facebook in response to a friend who stated “We want to see some throats cut”, Qannan replied: “Don’t give up on your ambition”.

Qannan also described a 26-year-old Palestinian who killed four civilians and a police officer in a series of shootings in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak in March 2022, as a “hero”.

BBC sources emphasised that Elzaenen and Qannan were not members of staff.

But the broadcaster’s use of them as freelance contributors representing the corporation has been condemned by media watchers, who accuse BBC Arabic, part of the BBC’s World Service, of anti-Israel bias.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) says it is indicative of BBC Arabic’s willingness to use contributors who cannot be trusted to deliver objective and balanced broadcasting.

It comes after The Telegraph revealed that regular BBC Arabic contributor Ahmed Alagha was accused of describing Israelis as less than human and Jews as “devils”.

A Camera UK spokesman said: “The BBC misleadingly frames freelance journalists used by the Arabic service as mere “contributors” so it won’t have to take responsibility for the hatred they regularly spew in social media.

“Providing live reporting from the Gaza Strip and other world locations, it is not their opinion that the BBC asks them to share with its audience but their eyewitness, based on their presence on the ground.

“Freelancers who divulge such egregious bias should not be covering Israeli and Jewish affairs for the BBC. Any individual whose social media activity indicates their support for violence targeting Israel’s Jewish civilians lacks the basic journalistic skill of distinguishing between combatants and uninvolved bystanders.”

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, last month called for “wholesale reform” of BBC Arabic after a report by Camera accused it of “appalling anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias”.

In a letter to Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, Ms Badenoch said: “BBC Arabic is intended to provide high-quality, trusted news for the hundreds of millions of people who speak Arabic. It should uphold the highest standards of public-service broadcasting. Instead, it seems that the World Service may be fomenting extremism and misleading audiences – while funded by the taxpayer and licence fees. This is simply unacceptable and must stop.”

The BBC has previously investigated a number of BBC Arabic presenters and reporters who liked or shared social media posts which appeared to celebrate the Oct 7 atrocities, but took no further action against them.

Elzaenen and Qannan were approached for comment.

A BBC spokesman said: “International journalists including the BBC are not allowed access into Gaza so we hear from a range of eyewitness accounts from the strip. These are not BBC members of staff or part of the BBC’s reporting team. We were not aware of the individuals’ social media activity prior to hearing from them on air. We are absolutely clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism on our services.”