The BBC is facing calls to stop “marking its own homework” after its internal complaints unit ruled it was acceptable to describe Israel as an “occupation” and Jews living there as “human fragments”.
The ruling by the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) is one of scores in favour of the controversial BBC Arabic service since October 7.
In almost every case, the complaint submitted by media watchdog Camera was rejected.
They include:
- Failing to report on violence against Israeli football fans in Amsterdam
- Omitting any mention of killings committed by released Palestinian prisoners
- Interviewing only pro-Palestinian students at Gaza encampments in the UK
In all, 36 complaints from Camera against BBC Arabic concerning reports since October 7, 2023 have been rejected by the ECU. Two have been upheld, after rulings emerged in recent weeks.
The ECU deals with appeals after complaints have been rejected at the first stage by the broadcaster. Crucially, BBC Arabic, as a part of the World Service, falls outside the scope of Ofcom for further appeals, meaning the findings are the final word on any complaint.
The ruling on the use of “occupation” and “human fragments” concerned an appearance by Palestinian poet Al-Mutawakel Taha on the BBC Arabic programme Hardtalk.
The ECU rejected the complaint, arguing Taha’s incendiary comments to describe Israel and Israelis were his “personal opinion” and did not warrant a challenge from the presenter.
A BBC Arabic report on Qassam Brigades (Photo: BBC)[Missing Credit]
Senior BBC executives have previously cited BBC Arabic’s favourable track record with the ECU to defend the language service from criticism.
The landmark report by independent adviser Michael Prescott exposing bias at the BBC last year devoted its longest section to the Arabic-language service.
Quizzed by MPs in November after the report’s publication, Jonathan Munro, then deputy director of BBC News, rejected claims of impartiality, saying: “I do not recognise the picture that has been painted by some of our critics about BBC Arabic.” Referring to the ECU as an “independent group”, Munro said that not one of eight complaints he knew about had been upheld.
Munro is now the most senior BBC News executive, after the resignations of chief executive Deborah Turness along with director general Tim Davie in the wake of the Prescott report.
Following Prescott’s memo, which highlighted stark differences in coverage between the BBC’s English and Arabic services, BBC chair Samir Shah told MPs that improvements were expected after the service hired a regional director with Middle East expertise and Arabic language skills.
BBC chair Samir Shah (Parliament TV)[Missing Credit]
In December, the BBC board published a review in the light of the leaked Prescott memo, pledging changes to ensure BBC Arabic journalism is “of the highest editorial standard”.
These include a new training programme, and a newly created Editorial Standards and Quality structure to conduct a “continual year-round editorial review system”, including “recommendations for improvement”.
But the changes have yet to affect how complaints are handled, with the corporation’s processes coming under scrutiny.
Danny Cohen, the BBC’s former director of television, called for the complaints system to be taken out of the corporation’s hands.
He told the JC: “It is abundantly clear by now that the BBC’s complaint system is not fit for purpose. There has been a huge volume of evidence to show that there are issues of bias and antisemitism at BBC Arabic but the BBC continues to find it very hard to admit it. An independent complaints’ process for the BBC is long overdue.
"The corporation cannot be allowed to continue to mark its own homework.”
Nigel Huddleston, the shadow culture secretary, said that it was “alarming” that the ECU continued to dismiss complaints alleging bias.
Huddleston added: “The BBC has a duty and indeed charter obligation to do better.”
Labour MP Luke Akehurst warned the channel had “repeatedly broadcast egregious and antisemitic content”.
Akehurst said: “The BBC has let them get away with it as demonstrated by its repeated and farcical rejection of legitimate complaints.
"This failure isn’t simply a betrayal of the BBC’s principles of fairness and accuracy but highly detrimental to the safety and security of Jewish people both in Israel and beyond.”
Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine, added: “Hate crime is on the rise across Britain and around the world, and we must stand against the dismaying spread of that scourge.
"The BBC is a crucial institution at the heart of Britain and must lead from the front in tackling this crucial issue.”
Camera – a US-based NGO whose full name is Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) – said: “At this point, it should be clear to any serious observer that the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit is part of the BBC Arabic problem rather than part of its solution.
“These recent cases, taken together with extensive documentation already in the public domain, further establish a pattern of tolerating bigotry and applying double standards by both the Arabic service and the ECU itself, underscoring the urgent need for thorough reform of both bodies.”
Responding to the story, a BBC spokesperson said: “BBC News Arabic strives for the highest standards of journalism across its services and works to the same editorial guidelines as all other BBC News output.”
The corporation added: “The ECU operates outside of BBC News and assesses complaints independently on a case-by-case basis. The ECU uphold complaints where they consider there to have been a breach of editorial standards.”
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