The BBC ignored complaints about several journalists, including one who called Israel a “terrorist apartheid state,” for more than a year and even allowed them to report on the current Israel-Hamas war.
In 2022, HonestReporting uncovered social media posts written by journalist Marie-José Azzi, who is based in Lebanon and has worked for the corporation since 2019, that said Israel was a “terrorist” and “apartheid” state in tweets that were supportive of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
We also revealed a number of posts from an account belonging to Jordan-based BBC television and radio producer Layla Bashar Kloub, which described all Israelis as “terrorists” and suggested only Arabs have any right to be in Israel.
Meanwhile, UK-based BBC video curator Hala Hindawi labeled Israeli Jews “settlers” and accused the country of “targeting children” in remarks posted to her Twitter account (now X). The latter remark is reminiscent of ancient blood libels in which Jews were accused of killing children for their blood to be used in religious rituals.
We complained to the BBC in August 2022 that the posts breached the corporation’s impartiality and social media usage guidelines.
In response, the BBC said that while it could not comment on individual staff matters, such cases would be “dealt with appropriately” where its rules had been breached.
However, it appears the BBC failed to take action against any of the journalists named and, even more disturbingly, allowed them to work on the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
In 2022, HonestReporting exposed Marie-José Azzi (& several other BBC journalists), who described Israel as a “terrorist state” & an “apartheid” country in tweets supporting the BDS campaign against Israel.
We contacted @BBCNews at the time. They knew. They chose to do nothing. https://t.co/n6lSzgS75g
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) March 17, 2024
Marie-José Azzi was credited alongside fellow BBC Arabic journalist Soha Ibrahim in a BBC Verify piece published this month that alleged Israeli soldiers beat and humiliated Gazan medics after a raid on Nasser hospital.
According to the Daily Mail, Ibrahim, who is based in London and has worked for the BBC for 12 years, ‘liked’ videos of people in Lebanon and Tunisia celebrating the October 7 Hamas attacks, and Egyptian football fans chanting, “we sacrifice our souls, our blood for Palestine.”
She also “liked” another post that praised “the first of the martyrs of the operation.”
The BBC is under pressure to suspend the BBC Arabic journalists until an investigation has been completed following criticism from UK Conservative Party Member of Parliament Nicola Richards.
However, questions remain as to why no action was taken sooner: why did the BBC seemingly fail to discipline any of the staff when their social media posts were initially revealed and why has the BBC allowed them to report on the current Israel-Hamas war?
The broadcaster claims it is fully committed to impartiality and upholding editorial standards — outlined in its strict code of conduct for staff members — but has repeatedly ignored breaches of these rules.
The BBC’s credibility as it relates to Israel reportage is already at an all-time low. Further inaction from the corporation will destroy its floundering reputation.
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