BBC is ‘institutionally anti-Semitic and biased in its reporting on Gaza’

THE BBC is ‘institutionally antiSemitic’ and has inflamed community tensions due to its ‘biased’ reporting of the Gaza conflict, a former attorney general said last night.

Sir Michael Ellis said the BBC’s impartiality had been brought into ‘disrepute’ over its coverage of Israel and Hamas.

Opening a Westminster Hall debate on the subject, he warned that the corporation’s reporting had ‘fuelled the appalling rise of anti-Semitism’ and ‘harmed diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the violence’.

The incident he was referring to – an explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital – was initially reported by the BBC as being caused by an Israeli air strike.

It later admitted it was wrong after growing evidence emerged that it was due to a failed rocket launch by terrorist group Islamic Jihad.

But the dispute sparked a row with Israel, and there were suggestions it could have contributed to US President Joe Biden abandoning his Middle East peace summit at the time.

‘The BBC has found itself at the centre of ever-increasing controversy in recent years and it is the organisation’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, which has led it to comprehensively fail the British public,’ said Sir Michael, who is Jewish.

‘A careful review of BBC output shows a clear failure to uphold its obligation to impartiality and, in doing so, BBC News’s broadcasting and online content has actively inflamed community tensions here in the UK, fuelled the appalling rise in anti-Semitism, and in one particularly shocking case at least, harmed diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the violence.’

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We don’t agree with this opinion which we reject entirely and is not borne out by the facts.’

It came as Mr Biden stunned negotiators by declaring hope that there will be a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas by the start of Ramadan on March 10.

The President said both sides were ‘close’ to an agreement that would see hostages freed in return for a pause in hostilities. But Israeli officials said the remarks had ‘surprised’ Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while a source in Hamas said ‘big gaps need to be bridged’.