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The Independent
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why allegations of BBC bias on Israel are becoming hard to reconcile
In April 2006 I was visited in my office by Gerald Ronson, a businessman perhaps best known at the time for spending a stretch in jail on assorted charges of conspiracy, false accounting and theft. He did not pause to take his overcoat off before launching into a diatribe: 'I've always said opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one,' he pronounced, before adding: 'I am in favour of free speech but there is a line which can't be crossed and, as far as I am concerned, you've crossed it, and you must stop this!' Ronson was not protesting about our analysis of his chequered business career, but about our coverage of Israel. With him was the then-president of the Board of Deputies, which is sometimes presented as representing the view of British Jews. It is not clear why anyone thought that Ronson would be a persuasive advocate. Over time attempts to influence British media became more sophisticated. A number of 'media monitoring groups' with bland-sounding names were established with the explicit purpose of microscopically examining every word, every picture, every inch of footage – and duly pronouncing much coverage to be biased against Israel. In parallel, selected journalists would be invited on all-expenses-paid trips to Israel to be 'briefed.' Not so long ago I myself was asked by a popular columnist if I'd like to go on such a trip – and gradually became aware that a number of distinguished journalists appeared to have seized a similar opportunity without declaring the source of funding or acknowledging the arrangements behind the briefings. The BBC has been a particular target. It is close to an article of faith for some – maybe even many – that the BBC is biased. Biased against the right, biased against Brexit, biased against ordinary working people. And biased against Israel. But not only the BBC. Sky TV is, according to one David Collier, 'a pro-terrorist propaganda channel.' But then Mr Collier has a dystopian view of the future of British Jews, tweeting recently: 'Relax. We will all be gone soon. British Jews, Israeli business. chased out by an increasingly hostile UK. And when you all sit here in a 3rd world country with an Islamic flag over Downing St. you can let us know whether it was a good idea or not.' Now Mr Collier is a dogged researcher, recently shedding light on serious flaws in a BBC documentary on Gaza. For many years he worked in hospitality and tourism, but is now an investigative journalist. He told the Times of Israel recently: 'What [The BBC] have is an engine room full of activist journalists all desperately falling over each other trying to outdo each other in finding new ways to demonise Israel.' Another prominent critic of the BBC is an English / Israeli lawyer called Trevor Asserson, who recently garnered headlines in the UK press after commissioning a report, compiled by Israeli lawyers which claimed to identify a total of 1,553 breaches of the BBC's editorial guidelines in its coverage of Israel. The report was seized on by former BBC executive Danny Cohen, as demonstrating an 'institutional crisis' at the corporation. Cohen himself has founded, and chairs, the blandly-titled UK Media Research Counc il [UKMRC}, which employs a number of former Mail on Sunday and Telegraph journalists. According to Private Eye, which has been unable to establish who funds the body, it admits to 'focusing particularly on antisemitism and what they consider to be an anti-Israel narrative in the media.' Cohen himself collaborated with yet another blandly-named media monitoring outfit, Camera UK, to produce yet one more report highlighting alleged BBC bias against Israel. All this stuff is lapped up by those news organisations which instinctively rally to the Israeli cause or (an overlapping group) despise the BBC. So it was a little uncomfortable for some journalists this week when a 188-page report was published claiming to show that, far from being biased against Israel, the BBC was, in fact, biased towards Israel. The report, published on Monday, was endorsed by a number of prominent figures, including the admirable Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, former chair of the Conservative Party and the first Muslim woman to serve in a British Cabinet. She wrote: 'This is no cherry-picked critique. It is a comprehensive, evidence-based indictment that cannot be ignored.' But, of course, it was ignored. The findings included claims that the BBC humanises Israeli casualties and dehumanises Palestinian ones; that Palestinian deaths make fewer headlines; that there is an extreme imbalance in reporting fatalities; that the BBC doesn't treat Palestinian sympathisers fairly; and that the context and history of the conflict is underplayed. It argues that the BBC suppresses or minimises allegations of genocide and underreports attacks on press freedom. And so on. You may agree, or disagree, with any of the above. But it's unlikely you will be aware of it. As far as I can tell no mainstream news organisation thought it was worth so much as an inch of coverage. It sank without trace. The report was praised by the former Mail and Telegraph political columnist and now award-winning blogger, Peter Oborne, as 'an outstanding and thorough examination off BBC coverage.' This cut no ice with David Collier, who tweeted: 'It is, at best, a piece of risible, inaccurate junk.' In another post, he noted that the bland-sounding organisation which had published it , The Centre for Media Monitoring, was funded by the Muslim Council for Britain (MCB). 'What a pile of absolute garbage,' he scoffed. Some critiqued that the authors had used large language models [LLMs] to help their research. They were less bothered by Trevor Asserson's use of ChatGPT to help produce his own report. Now, it would be surprising if the MCB were to sponsor a report showing the BBC was anti-Israel. Equally, hell might have to freeze over before Messrs Collier, Asserson or Cohen would come to the conclusion that the BBC was institutionally biased towards Israel. But there is some worrying asymmetry involved here. The bland-sounding pro-Israel groups are simply more numerous and better-resourced than any bland-sounding pro-Palestinian group. They have more willing amplifiers in the mainstream media. Over the years narratives are constructed and take root. And when someone comes along with a counter-narrative they are ignored. It would be unkind to call it GroupThink but there is, at the very least, a lack of balance. Which, of course, is the accusation thrown at the BBC. It all makes one rather nostalgic for Gerald Ronson and his homilies about arseholes. You knew where you were.
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Member of UK Jewish body resigns over failure to call out Israel on Gaza
An elected representative on the UK's largest Jewish body has resigned, saying it had 'failed to act morally and failed to represent the increasing diversity of opinion within the British Jewish community' amid growing horror at Israel's renewed assault on Gaza. Daniel Grossman, one of 36 elected members of the Board of Deputies facing disciplinary proceedings over their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, told a meeting called by the board last weekend that he had 'no confidence in the leadership'. Grossman, 21, a final-year student at Bristol University, was one of three dozen deputies who signed an open letter last month that said 'Israel's soul is being ripped out' by the war in Gaza and that their 'Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out'. In response, the board, which consists of more than 300 deputies, opened a disciplinary procedure against all 36 and suspended two deputies. The board's efforts to shut down debate over the Israeli government's actions has prompted criticism and discomfort among a significant and growing proportion of British Jews. Grossman told the Guardian: 'It's very simple: they are refusing to explicitly and publicly condemn Israel's genocidal assault in Gaza and to criticise the [Israeli] government for abandoning the hostages, who have been in captivity for far too long. 'Increasing numbers of people are recognising that Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be justified as purely self-defence. They seemingly want to declare a perpetual war against Palestinian civilians with the goal of ethnically cleansing them from the Gaza Strip.' Grossman said that the past 19 months since Hamas's horrific attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 had 'definitely been a journey for me'. He grew up in a mainstream Jewish community, with strong emotional and familial connections with Israel, but it had become 'increasingly clear that the way the Israeli government is acting is not acceptable by any measure'. The response to his resignation had been more supportive than he expected, he said. 'More people were sympathetic than I expected, and it has genuinely astonished me. Lots of these people may not feel able to speak out themselves, they might find it difficult with friends or family. But people have reached out to me. 'A huge shift is happening. The diversity of opinion in the Jewish community is becoming increasingly clear,' Grossman said, yet the board had tried to 'stifle dissent'. Although younger Jews were more open to criticising the actions of the Israeli government, there was not a clear generational divide, he said. 'My 89-year-old grandmother, who was a refugee during the Holocaust, said I had done the right thing and she is proud of me for speaking up.' Grossman said he was on the political left among British Jews, but added: 'This issue is touching people across the political spectrum. A lot of people are waking up.' A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies said: 'Daniel's term as a deputy was due to end in a few weeks with him having been replaced by another representative from the Union of Jewish Students. We wish him well with his future endeavours.' Its investigation into the 36 signatories to the open letter is expected to conclude in the next few weeks.
The National
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Jewish split over Gaza deepens in the UK
Dissent over position of the Board of Deputies on Israel's military campaign in Gaza flourishing
BreakingNews.ie
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe caught on camera using ‘antisemitic language'
Rupert Lowe, the former Reform UK MP, appears to have been caught on camera using 'antisemitic language'. The Great Yarmouth MP can be heard remarking on the size of a camera which is about to start filming him, describing it as a 'Jewish camera', in a video obtained by The Guardian newspaper. Advertisement Mr Lowe was suspended from Reform UK earlier this year following a string of allegations about his conduct, which he has strenuously denied. In the footage obtained by The Guardian, understood to have been recorded in February or March, Mr Lowe is seen sitting on a green sofa in a meeting with parliamentary staff. As he noticed the camera, Mr Lowe said: 'In days gone by you'd call it a Jewish camera, but that would be politically incorrect. Because it's so small.' Following laughter from the room, someone out of sight of the video can be heard to say: 'Career over in a second.' Advertisement Mr Lowe appeared to agree, repeating: 'Career over in a second.' Asked about his comments, Mr Lowe told the PA news agency the video was a 'ludicrous smear attempt'. But the Board of Deputies of British Jews, one of the UK's largest Jewish community organisations, branded the remarks antisemitic. 'This is bizarre and outdated antisemitic language which has no place in our politics. Mr Lowe should apologise for the offence this remark has caused,' a spokesperson for the board said. Advertisement Mr Lowe was suspended from Reform UK in March after he was accused of making verbal threats against party chairman Zia Yusuf, and of bullying. The Crown Prosecution Service said no criminal charges would be brought against the independent MP earlier this month in relation to alleged threats towards Mr Yusuf. Mr Lowe has since accused his ex-colleagues of engaging in a 'sinister' attempt to use the police to silence him, and branded Reform's leader Nigel Farage a 'coward and a viper'. The MP has hinted in interviews since his suspension he would be interested in setting up his own challenger political party on the right. Advertisement He has also suggested he would be open to joining the Conservatives, if the party were to undergo reform.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe recorded making ‘antisemitic' remark in leaked video
Former Reform UK MP has been recorded making an 'antisemitic' remark during a meeting in parliament this year, it has emerged. Video footage shows Rupert Lowe, who was suspended from the party after a bitter public spat with Nigel Farage, making the comment in front of parliamentary staff. In a leaked recording, obtained by The Guardian, Mr Lowe commented on the size of a camera being used to film him. 'In days gone by you'd call it a Jewish camera, but that would be politically incorrect. Because it's so small,' Mr Lowe is recorded as saying. Others present began laughing, before one reassured him the footage would not be shared and another joked that his 'career would be over in a second'. Responding to the resurfaced video, Mr Lowe said he could not remember making the comment. 'But if it was said, it was clearly a joke as anybody reading it can understand,' he added. The Board of Deputies of British Jews condemned the 'bizarre and outdated antisemitic language' and said it played into the trope that Jewish people are frugal with money. A spokesman said it 'has no place in our politics' and called for an apology from Mr Lowe. Reform has been approached for comment. Mr Lowe was suspended from Reform pending an investigation this year pending an investigation into his conduct and claims he had threatened violence against its chairman Zia Yusuf. That came after he publicly criticised Mr Farage, accusing the party leader of having 'messianic' tendencies, and Mr Lowe maintained he was the victim of a political hit job for speaking out. The police have since dropped an investigation into claims Mr Lowe threatened Mr Yusuf, while the now independent MP has renewed his attacks on Mr Farage. Nigel Farage 'is a coward and a viper and must never be prime minister', he has since said. Mr Lowe, a former MEP for the Brexit Party, has been toying with a defection to the Conservatives or the idea of forming a new right-wing party to rival the Conservatives. He is a staunch right-winger and campaigns fervently on issues including illegal migration, grooming gangs and free speech. Speaking to BBC Newsnight this month, Mr Lowe said he would join a reformed Conservative Party or form a new party with the backing of Elon Musk.
