BBC under fire after Robinson remark about Gaza ‘murders’

NICK ROBINSON has said he “should have been clear” during an interview with the Foreign Secretary, following a row over his assertion that Israel had “murdered tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians”.

The BBC came under fire after the Today programme presenter put the claim to Lord Cameron towards the end of their exchange on Radio 4 yesterday morning. Mr Robinson subsequently said he was not expressing his own view, “let alone the view of the BBC”, following criticism of his suggestion.

In his final question to Lord Cameron, he said: “Isn’t the real risk of where we are now that western governments appear to back Israel the moment that Israel is under attack, but when Israel attacks and murders tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians, we say the words but we do almost nothing?”

Lord Cameron replied: “I don’t think that’s right at all,” adding: “Actually, over this weekend and into this week, people can see that the truly malign actor in this region is Iran, a country that has launched a state-on-state attack, as you put it in your introduction. And it’s this country, Iran, that is backing Hamas in Palestine, that’s backing Hezbollah in Lebanon, that’s backing the Houthis in the Red Sea.”

Following criticism of his remarks, Mr Robinson wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “My final question was about the perceived ‘morality’ of the Government’s position – in particular the ‘risk’ that their position could ‘appear’ to look like active support for Israel when it is under attack, but nothing other than words ‘when Israel attacks or murders tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians’.

“I should have been clearer that I was not expressing my own view let alone that of the BBC when I used the words ‘murders’. I asked the Foreign Secretary why ministers had supported Israel militarily, why they didn’t go further and support Israel in confronting Iran, why they weren’t tougher in confronting Israel over Gaza and ended with that question about the perceived ‘morality’ and the ‘risk’ of how the Government’s position ‘appears’. It was a lengthy and detailed exploration of the policy choices made by the Government.”

The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 74,000 wounded in Gaza in the current conflict.