A BBC news service was guilty of distortions which damned Israel and helped Hamas, a whistleblower has claimed.
BBC Arabic has been accused of seeking to “minimise Israeli suffering”.
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A memo claimed pro-Hamas journalist Samer Elzaenen — who once said Jews should be burned ‘as Hitler did’ — appeared as a guest on BBC Arabic 244 times in 18 monthsCredit: Facebook
It is also said to have broadcast unchecked stories as well as Gaza death toll claims that were inflated by Hamas.
The allegations emerged after it was revealed the BBC incorrectly reported the International Court of Justice had ruled genocide was taking place in Gaza.
Michael Prescott, who until June was an independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee, laid out his concerns in a devastating memo.
It detailed how pro-Hamas journalist Samer Elzaenen — who once said Jews should be burned “as Hitler did” — appeared as a guest on BBC Arabic 244 times in 18 months.
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Ahmed Alagha, another commentator, who described Jews as “devils”, appeared 522 times in the same period.
Whistleblower Mr Prescott said that, despite years of complaints about its reporting on Gaza, there was never any admission of “systemic problems” within BBC Arabic.
The channel — part of the broadcaster’s World Service — is funded mainly by licence payers but also gets taxpayers’ money from the Foreign Office
A BBC spokeswoman said: “Where mistakes were made, we acknowledged them at the time and took action.
“Certain contributors should not have been used and we have improved our processes to avoid a repeat of this.”
BBC Arabic was guilty of distortions which damned Israel and helped Hamas, a whistleblower has claimedCredit: Getty
