King Charles condemns ‘barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel’

The Royal family has branded Hamas terrorists and said they were "appalled" by the attacks on Israel[1]. The King condemned the "barbaric acts of terrorism", while the Prince and Princess of Wales said they were "profoundly distressed" by the "horrors inflicted by Hamas's terrorist attack[2]". Their comments came as the BBC faced increasing pressure to change its stance and refer to the proscribed organisation as terrorists, rather than militants.

James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary[3], Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, and Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, have all expressed concern about the BBC's position and former executives have urged the broadcaster to change course. John Simpson, the BBC's world affairs editor, has defended the approach and said that the BBC would be "taking sides"[4] if it labelled Hamas as terrorists, threatening journalistic "impartiality". The King spoke to both Yitzhak Herzog, the president of Israel, and to King Abdullah of Jordan on the telephone on Wednesday afternoon.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "His Majesty is appalled by and condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel[5]." The spokesman said the monarch, 74, who made an historic first visit to Israel and the West Bank in 2020, was "extremely concerned" about the conflict and had asked to be kept abreast of developments. "His thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering, particularly those who have lost loved ones, but also those actively involved as we speak," added the spokesman.

The King speaks to Palestinian refugees in Bethlehem on his tour of the region in 2020Credit: Neil Hall/EPA-EFE/REX

Just three hours later, a Kensington Palace spokesman said: "The Prince and Princess of Wales are profoundly distressed by the devastating events that have unfolded in the past days.

"The horrors inflicted by Hamas's terrorist attack upon Israel[6] are appalling; they utterly condemn them. "As Israel exercises its right of self-defence, all Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be stalked by grief, fear and anger in the time to come. "Their Royal Highnesses hold all the victims, their families and their friends in their hearts and minds."

The Prince, 41, made a four-day visit to Israel and Palestine in 2018, expressing his own hopes for "lasting peace" in the region. His spokesman added: "Those the Prince of Wales met in 2018 overwhelmingly shared a common hope - that of a better future. "In the midst of such terrible suffering, the Prince and Princess continue to share that hope without reservation."

The row over the BBC's failure to call Hamas terrorists[7] follows condemnation of the group from leading political figures. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, called the attacks the actions of "terrorists", while Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, insisted that the BBC should "call it out for what it is". Mr Cleverly challenged the broadcaster on air when he told a BBC Breakfast presenter on Tuesday: "Hamas, which is a terrorist organisation - I just want to make sure you recognise that in your reporting[8], these are not militants, they are terrorists.

Ms Frazer has spoken to Tim Davie, the BBC director-general, and asked if the broadcaster could reconsider the editorial guidelines[9] that restrain journalists from branding Hamas's actions "terrorism".

Mr Shapps said the policy is "verging on disgraceful". Danny Cohen, a former director of BBC Television, said that the BBC and other broadcasters are "failing the public when they fail to accurately report terrorism and war crimes for what they are". Hamas is a proscribed organisation in the UK, meaning the Government sees it as a terrorist organisation.

The BBC has defended its policy[10] and so far refused to review the editorial guidelines that restrain journalists from branding the massacres in Israel "terrorism". David Jordan, director of editorial policy and standards at the BBC, defended the broadcaster's position, insisting that it was a decades-old policy that had "stood the test of time" - whether in dealing with the IRA or conflicts around the world. Mr Jordan said it was of paramount importance that all audiences could trust the BBC's information, so it could not risk appearing to favour one side or another in a conflict.

He told BBC Radio 4's The Media Show: "The side of the conflict being described in that way - as terrorists[11] - then immediately assumes that the BBC is biased against them and favours the other side in the conflict." Mr Simpson, who joined the BBC in 1970, claimed critical politicians "know perfectly well" the broadcaster's stance in regards to the term and that plenty "privately agreed with it". He tweeted:

British politicians know perfectly well why the BBC avoids the word 'terrorist', and over the years plenty of them have privately agreed with it.

Calling someone a terrorist means you're taking sides and ceasing to treat the situation with due impartiality. The BBC's job is to...

-- John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) October 10, 2023[12]

His intervention came amid mounting criticism of the BBC. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said the reluctance of the BBC and broadcast media to brand Hamas terrorists was a sign that "we are losing our moral compass".

And the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said the refusal of Mr Simpson and the BBC to use the term "terrorism" was a form of taking sides itself, as the word has been used to describe other violent attacks in the past[13]. Nick Robinson, the Today programme presenter, commented on the BBC's approach on Twitter. He said:

We have brave colleagues reporting from Israel and Gaza and, indeed, many other war zones around the world who come under huge pressure to use labels to describe the "enemy" & whose safety depends on them being seen to be impartial

-- Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) October 11, 2023[14]

He added: "Whatever your view, I hope you recognise that it is thanks to the reporting of my colleagues that so many know the full horror of the mass murders that have been carried out.

"The stories of the victims and those left behind are being told fully and bravely every day on BBC News." The King's conversations with Mr Herzog and King Abdullah were considered an opportunity to express personally his thoughts and prayers for all of those suffering[15]. A royal source said that one of His Majesty's lifelong concerns, both as Prince of Wales and since his accession, has been to encourage and support interfaith and inter-community dialogue[16], peace and understanding - both nationally and internationally.

"He will continue to seek ways to do so in such deeply painful times," said the source. Mr Herzog thanked the King for his support for the people of Israel and described the call as a comforting and important statement for the entire Jewish people. The pair spoke "at length about the terrible massacre and its difficult details[17]", said the Israeli embassy.

The call to King Abdullah was made in the context of the border his country shares with the West Bank and the great number of Palestinian refugees in Jordan. In January 2020, the King - then Prince of Wales - sympathised with the Palestinian people, speaking of the hardships they face and saying he wished them "freedom, justice and equality" in the future. He was speaking during an historic first visit to the West Bank[18], when he walked through Bethlehem with Muslim and Christian leaders.

The King visits Omar mosque in Bethlehem in 2020Credit: Mussa Qawasma/AP

The King became the highest ranking royal to carry out official engagements in Israel and the occupied territories.

On a deeply personal visit to Jerusalem, he also made a pilgrimage to his grandmother's tomb at the Russian Orthodox church of St Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives, where he laid flowers in memory of Princess Alice. The Princess, who famously saved a Jewish family from the Nazis during the Holocaust while living in occupied Greece and died when he was 20. The holy oil used to anoint the King during his Coronation[19] was created using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and the Monastery of the Ascension.

A BBC spokesman said: "We always take our use of language very seriously. "Anyone watching or listening to our coverage will hear the word 'terrorist' used many times - we attribute it to those who are using it, for example, the UK Government. "This is an approach that has been used for decades, and is in line with that of other broadcasters.

"The BBC is an editorially independent broadcaster whose job is to explain precisely what is happening 'on the ground' so our audiences can make their own judgment."

References

1. ^ the attacks on Israel (www.telegraph.co.uk)
2. ^ Hamas's terrorist attack (www.telegraph.co.uk)
3. ^ James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary (www.telegraph.co.uk)
4. ^ the BBC would be "taking sides" (www.telegraph.co.uk)
5. ^ barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel (www.telegraph.co.uk)
6. ^ Hamas's terrorist attack upon Israel (www.telegraph.co.uk)
7. ^ the BBC's failure to call Hamas terrorists (www.telegraph.co.uk)
8. ^ recognise that in your reporting (www.telegraph.co.uk)
9. ^ reconsider the editorial guidelines (www.telegraph.co.uk)
10. ^ The BBC has defended its policy (www.telegraph.co.uk)
11. ^ described in that way - as terrorists (www.telegraph.co.uk)
12. ^ October 10, 2023 (twitter.com)
13. ^ other violent attacks in the past (www.telegraph.co.uk)
14. ^ October 11, 2023 (twitter.com)
15. ^ for all of those suffering (www.telegraph.co.uk)
16. ^ support interfaith and inter-community dialogue (www.telegraph.co.uk)
17. ^ the terrible massacre and its difficult details (www.telegraph.co.uk)
18. ^ historic first visit to the West Bank (www.telegraph.co.uk)
19. ^ holy oil used to anoint the King during his Coronation (www.telegraph.co.uk)