Board of Deputies writes to BBC over refusal to call Hamas terrorists

Lawyers acting for the largest Jewish community organisation in the UK have told the BBC to investigate complaints made against them[1] over their failure to refer to Hamas as terrorists. Tim Davie, the director-general of the BBC, has been ordered to instruct the company to look into complaints made by the Board of Deputies of British Jews by the charity's lawyers, after the broadcaster "refused" to review editorial guidelines[2]. Adam Rose, of law firm Mishcon de Reya, wrote: "There is no scope to doubt that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, as a matter of fact, since Nov 26 2021, as a matter of law.

"And yet the BBC insists that it is 'fair and accurate' to refer to Hamas as 'militants' and not as 'terrorists". Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies, had on Tuesday written to the BBC urging Mr Davie to "change BBC Guidelines so that they truly reflect the true nature of Hamas".

'Terrorising families and friends'

Mr Rose wrote to the BBC on behalf of the firm's lawyers on Thursday to complain: "The failure - generally, but most especially in the present time - to refer on screen to Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and as I see from your letter on 12 October, your refusal to review the Editorial Guidelines, means that the UK's Jewish Community, which is represented by our client, is facing a position whereby the main public broadcaster in this country cannot bring itself to name the organisation and people who are terrorising its families and friends in Israel, as terrorists."

It comes as Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, criticised the BBC live on its Today programme on Thursday for not describing Hamas as terrorists.[3] Mr Shapps told broadcaster Mishal Hussein that the BBC did not seem "particularly interested" in "the Hamas terrorists".

"And I would have thought a good start is to warn people in advance that the area that they are in is likely to be part of an attack where the Israelis are trying to get hold of the Hamas terrorists, who you don't seem to be particularly interested in, and the BBC seems to refuse to call terrorists even though the British Parliament has legislated that they are terrorists."

But Hussein hit back at the Defence Secretary, referring to the BBC's reporting of the events in Israel and the victims, as well as the Ofcom code, telling him the broadcaster was "not unique in this".

The BBC has been approached for comment.

References

1. ^ complaints made against them (www.telegraph.co.uk)
2. ^ broadcaster "refused" to review editorial guidelines (www.telegraph.co.uk)
3. ^ not describing Hamas as terrorists. (www.telegraph.co.uk)