BBC must publish report into ‘bias against Israel’, say Tories

BBC bosses must publish a buried report into accusations of bias over its coverage of Israel[1], senior Tories have demanded. Conservative MPs said it was time for the broadcaster to release the findings of an internal investigation. Their intervention comes following criticism of the corporation's refusal to refer to Hamas as terrorists[2] rather than a "militant" group.

The BBC commissioned the report in 2004 following complaints from the public and Israeli government that its coverage was slanted. It has since spent GBP350,000 of licence fee payers' money on fighting in the courts to prevent the publication of the dossier.

BBC 'routinely forget the public'

Mike Freer, a former equalities minister and the MP for Finchley and Golders Green in north London, said the findings should be released. "The BBC are a public broadcaster but they routinely forget the public," the senior Conservative said.

"If the licence payers, the public, especially the Jewish community are to have confidence in the BBC, they should publish." Michael Fabricant, the Tory MP for Lichfield, has written to media watchdog Ofcom to complain about the BBC's coverage of events in Israel[3]. He said: "The BBC has been appalling in its coverage of the Hamas crisis.

Once again its impartiality has been thrown into doubt. "It is now time for the BBC to publish the Balen Report without any further delay." Mark Jenkinson, the Tory MP for Workington, said: "It makes you wonder why the BBC has spent the best part of two decades - and who knows how much licence fee cash - on withholding the Balen report from public scrutiny.

"Perhaps the reporting we've seen this week gives us a clue into the content."

Report after Israel removed co-operation

The 20,000-word report was written by Malcolm Balen, the corporation's senior editorial consultant, following the accusations of bias.

It was commissioned after the Israeli government withdrew its co-operation with the BBC in protest against its coverage of the country[4].

A BBC source insisted the report "has always been held for the purposes of journalism and so is not subject" to freedom of information laws.

References

  1. ^ over its coverage of Israel (www.telegraph.co.uk)
  2. ^ refusal to refer to Hamas as terrorists (www.telegraph.co.uk)
  3. ^ the BBC's coverage of events in Israel (www.telegraph.co.uk)
  4. ^ in protest against its coverage of the country (www.telegraph.co.uk)

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