Britain’s largest Jewish community body slams BBC’s refusal to call Hamas a terrorist group ‘little short of obscene’
- The Board of Deputies of British Jews slammed the BBC’s language choice
The UK’s largest Jewish community body has said the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas a terrorist organisation ‘feels little short of obscene’.
While the Government classifies the Palestinian group as a single terrorist organisation, the broadcaster has continually referred to it as a ‘militant’ group and the killing of civilians as ‘militant’ attacks.
BBC bosses are under pressure to change their guidelines, with ministers criticising the corporation’s refusal to use the term ‘terrorists’.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has asked that the Government ‘pushes for an urgent review of the BBC’s guidelines’, saying it is clear that Hamas ‘should be described as what they are – terrorists’. President of the group, Marie van der Zyl, wrote to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer with her concerns.
In a response, Ms Frazer said she has raised the issue with BBC director general Tim Davie. She said she had made clear her view that these were ‘acts of terror carried out by a terrorist organisation’.
The UK’s largest Jewish community body has said the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas a terrorist organisation ‘feels little short of obscene’. Pictured: Explosions over Gaza City on Tuesday night
She wrote: ‘I asked [Tim Davie] whether the BBC was considering if it was now appropriate to review their guidelines, and, if not, whether they were confident they were abiding by their own BBC News style guide.’ It came as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly challenged a BBC presenter on-air over the way the corporation has been referring to Hamas.
He told BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent: ‘Hamas, which is a terrorist organisation – I just want to make sure you recognise that in your reporting, these are not militants, they are terrorists.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Anyone watching or listening to our coverage will hear the word ‘terrorist’ used – we attribute it to those who are using it such as the Government. This is an approach that is in line with that of other broadcasters.’
It is understood the BBC has no plans to change the guidelines.
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