More than 100 employees accuse the BBC of bias in reporting on Israel

The BBC has been accused by more than 100 staff of having one pro-Israel “bias” in his coverage of the Israeli war in Gaza, has been running for over a yearBritish media reported this on Saturday.

In a letter to the BBC director Tim Davie and CEO Deborah Turnness, the employees too criticized the broadcaster for its lack of “accurate, evidence-based and consistently fair” journalism, accusing it of “failing” to meet its own editorial standards.

The letter, first reported by The independent On Friday there were more than 100 signatories from British broadcaster staff, plus other signatures from the media industry, actors and politicians and other public figures.

“Fundamental journalistic principles are lacking when it comes to holding Israel accountable for its actions,” staffers said in the letter.

The signatories then urged the broadcaster to report “without fear or favour” and to “recommit to fairness, accuracy and impartiality” in its coverage of Gaza.

The letter also appealed to the BBC apply a number of editorial requirements, such as emphasizing that Israel is the perpetrator in headlines when the military carries out attacks, including the “historical context that predates the events” of October 7, 2023, and “strongly challenging” Israeli officials and representatives in interviews.

The letter also asked for the BBC to explicitly state that external journalists are denied access to Gaza by Israeli forces.

Speak with The independentsaid one of the signatories of the letter BBC had published “a number of dehumanizing and misleading headlines” about the killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces.

Another signatory said the broadcaster “always treats” the Palestinians as “an unreliable source” but “always gives the Israeli version of events” despite ample evidence that the military is spreading false information.

The letter also highlighted alleged shortcomings of other British media organizations including ITV And Sky News.

The BBC denied the claims in the letter, saying that when they “make mistakes or have made changes to the way they report”, they are “transparent”.

The broadcaster also added that it “does not and cannot reflect any worldview” in its reporting.

The public broadcaster has come under fire a number of times for its reporting on the Israeli war against Gaza, which mainly involves the Palestinian victims of Israeli violence.

In July this year the BBC described the murder disabled Palestinian man labeled ‘lonely dead’ by Israeli forcesafter 24-year-old Muhammad Bhar, who suffered from Down syndrome, was left to die by the Israeli army after being mauled by a fighting dog set on him in Shujaiya.

The BBC did not mention Muhammad’s death until the 16th paragraph of the article, choosing to lead the story with the difficulties the 24-year-old faced as a man with a disability living through war.

Public outrage followed, prompting the broadcaster to delete the initial tweet about the story, before changing the headline to “Gaza man with Down syndrome attacked by IDF dog and left to die”.

Similarly, eight British-based BBC employees wrote a letter last November accusing the broadcaster of applying “double standards” in reporting on Palestinian casualties, portraying Hamas as the sole instigator during the war and could not empathize with the Palestinian victims. The Palestinians suffer in the same way as they would the Ukrainians.

During the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza, reports emerged that staff were found ‘crying’ in bathrooms over the BBC’s coverage of the military attack. Moreover, the BBCs early coverage of the war This prompted veteran reporter Bassam Bounenni, among others, to resign as the BBCs North Africa correspondent. A few BBC Arabic The staff was also questioned and taken off air for showing pro-Palestinian sentiments on social media.

Israeli forces killed at least 43,314 Palestinians on Saturday and are intensifying a military campaign in northern Gaza. Israel’s war has also spread to Lebanon, where 2,897 people have been killed since October last year.

Israel’s actions in the regions have been condemned worldwide, with many labeling them as ‘war crimes’ and ‘genocide’.