Widespread protest by media figures over BBC’s pro-Israel bias

The letter, excerpts of which have been published in UK media, states: “We express our serious concern over censorship and lack of transparency in BBC editorial decisions regarding the coverage of developments in Israel and Palestine. In our view, the refusal to air the documentary ‘Gaza: Rescuers Under Fire’ is just one example in a series of decisions made according to a predetermined agenda. This decision once again demonstrates that the BBC acts with bias in reporting on Israel, contrary to its neutrality slogan.”

The authors emphasize that the decision not to broadcast the documentary—despite its content being approved according to BBC’s internal guidelines—was made by senior management and is considered a political decision reflecting the organization’s fear of criticizing the Israeli regime.

Elsewhere, the letter states: “We do not expect bias from the BBC; rather, we demand that it allow us to carry out our duty to present facts clearly and accurately. Unfortunately, many of our efforts have failed due to opaque and unexplained decision-making at senior management levels.”

The letter also criticizes the BBC’s failure to provide meaningful analysis on the UK government’s role in the conflict, arms sales, and their legal implications, leaving these issues to rival media outlets.

The signatories warn that this is not a coincidence but a deliberate pattern. They highlight how anti-Palestinian racist attitudes have influenced BBC editorial policies and question the role of Robbie Gibb, a board member and chair of the Editorial Standards Committee, who is said to have close ties with publications that have produced anti-Palestinian content.

The letter states that many BBC staff have faced reprimands for posting critical content about Israel on social media, while Gibb remains in a decision-making position despite his well-known ideological leanings. The signatories stress that, given the clear political bias in editorial decisions, BBC audiences can no longer be expected to remain indifferent to this partiality.