BBC urged to publish ‘suppressed’ internal report on bias against …

The BBC must publish an internal report on anti-Israel bias that has been "suppressed" for almost two decades, a former attorney general has said. Sir Michael Ellis, one of Britain's most prominent Jewish politicians, made the demand in a letter to Tim Davie, the corporation's director-general. He warned that the broadcaster had "suffered worldwide reputational damage" over criticism of its reporting and its refusal to call Hamas terrorists[1].

BBC bosses ordered the internal inquiry, called the Balen Report, back in 2004 following repeated complaints of bias by the Israeli government.

It was carried out by Malcolm Balen, a senior journalist, but has since been suppressed with the corporation going to court to keep its findings secret. Calls for the investigation to be released have grown louder following mounting criticism of the BBC's coverage of events in Israel and Gaza. The broadcaster was heavily criticised after it blamed Tel Aviv for the bombing of a hospital[2], which was actually carried out by jihadi militants.

It has also repeatedly refused to call Hamas terrorists, instead describing them as "militants[3]", which has sparked condemnation from Rishi Sunak.

'Lack of transparency'

In his letter, seen by The Telegraph, Sir Michael warned that complaints of anti-Israel bias in the BBC's reporting were now "greater than ever". The former cabinet minister urged Mr Davie to commit to "the same transparency it seeks in others" and set out a timetable for publishing the inquiry. "The BBC's erroneous and highly damaging misreporting of the hospital explosion in Gaza was one of the most shocking errors in news reporting for generations and has caused real harm, as well as long lasting reputational damage," he wrote.

"Furthermore, the BBC's refusal to describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation, despite the UK Government proscribing them as such[4], has caused further distress and concern. "The Balen Report has been suppressed by the BBC since it was written. Nearly 20 years on, the public are more concerned than ever at BBC partiality on this sensitive subject."

'Fighting to keep it a secret'

Mr Davie said that he would "consider" releasing the dossier after being grilled about it during a recent appearance before the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs[5].

Sir Michael said the fact that the broadcaster had racked up GBP350,000 in legal fees fighting to keep it secret created a "suspicion that the report is unfavourable to the BBC". He added: "The BBC has already suffered worldwide reputational damage with its recent reporting of the Middle East crisis. It is in the public interest that they publish this report now."

Several backbench Tory MPs have now called on the corporation to release the findings. The BBC has said the report was commissioned "for the purposes of journalism" and so falls outside the scope of freedom of information laws. Mr Davie is understood to have argued the broadcaster needs to be able to commission internal advice in the knowledge it will remain private.

He pointed out memos to ministers are treated similarly, on the basis that civil servants may not feel free to provide honest opinions if they feared publication.

References

1. ^ refusal to call Hamas terrorists (www.telegraph.co.uk)
2. ^ blamed Tel Aviv for the bombing of a hospital (www.telegraph.co.uk)
3. ^ militants (www.telegraph.co.uk)
4. ^ proscribing them as such (www.telegraph.co.uk)
5. ^ 1922 Committee of Tory MPs (www.telegraph.co.uk)