The lie that Jews use the blood of murdered children to make matzah has been aired by a UK-based channel already under fire for broadcasting pro-terror extremism.
Jewish leaders have now called for the authorities to act against London-based Al-Hiwar TV.
Ofcom claims it is unable to step in even though the channel holds a licence with it, and despite the Government insisting the media watchdog has “strong enforcement powers”.
The JC has previously reported how Al-Hiwar broadcast a programme in which a convicted terrorist said a suicide bombing which killed civilians was “God’s destiny”.
The blood libel came in an interview on 21 June with Dr Mona Sobhy, a family therapist in Turkey who addressed what she considered to be the “historical and intellectual roots” of conflict.
She said: “For example, even from a historical perspective there is a very famous story in the Levant, in Damascus. To this day, that neighbourhood is called Bab Touma. It used to be a Christian neighbourhood, but on Jewish Passover they have to get a gentile child – non-Jewish child – and knead the matzah they eat in the morning with his blood.”
The interviewer comments: “Right, the blood matzah…”
Sobhy continues: “That day they could not find [a child]. The Muslims would take precautions and hide their children before Passover. They would not let them go out to the street. The neighbourhoods were more or less closed down, and no stranger could go in.”
“So they found themselves in a pickle, they needed gentile blood. So they had no choice but to trick one priest who worked as a doctor and would do rounds with his bag and everything. They told him, ‘We have someone sick in the Jewish neighbourhood’ and they killed him and took his blood. It is hatred towards Islam, towards Christianity and all the non-Jewish communities.”
The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) urged the government to step in if necessary.
A JLC spokesperson told the JC: "It cannot be acceptable for an Ofcom-licensed broadcaster to be platforming guests sharing ancient blood libels that have been the cause of violence against Jewish communities for centuries.
“Ofcom must use the full extent of its enforcement powers.
“If they cannot act, the government must step in to ensure that antisemitic content cannot be distributed online with impunity."
Based in Ealing, west London, Al-Hiwar T has 6.4 million followers on Facebook and 1.9 million subscribers on YouTube and targets audiences in the UK, Middle East and North Africa.
Last month the JC reported how in a broadcast on March 30, the station’s co-founder and chairman Azzam Tamimi spoke to Othman Bilal, who was convicted in Israel as a terrorist for his part in suicide bombings in 1995.
In one segment Bilal describes those involved as “martyrs”, including Labib Azem, who was responsible for the deaths of six civilians.
Bilal also talked about “God’s destiny” enabling his part in the atrocity carried out by suicide bomber Sufyan Jabarin, in which she killed five civilians on a bus in the Ramat Eshkol area of east Jerusalem.
In another discussion broadcast on April 6, Bilal and Tamimi discussed the massacre of 1,200 men, women and children carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Bilal said: “A guy came in and told me there was a war. I tuned in and there was a huge barrage. He told me: ‘The Jihad fighters are in Sderot.’”
Mr Tamimi responded: “Like a fantasy.”
The interviews have been removed since the JC made inquiries about the content.
In October in a study based on analysis of 120 shows broadcast by Al Hiwar since October 2023, the Community Security Trust (CST) accused the channel of “repeatedly” showing content that was “at least sympathetic of Hamas”.
“This includes expressions of support for armed ‘resistance’ and for the October 7 terrorist atrocity, which Al-Hiwar refers to using Hamas’s name for the attack: ‘The al-Aqsa Flood’,” the report said. “These views are usually broadcast without challenge or balance.”
“Other programmes broadcast by Al-Hiwar include antisemitic views and expressions of hostility towards Jews, especially by viewers via phone-in shows,” the report added.
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera), which campaigns for a fair representation of Israel in the media, condemned the airing of extremist views without challenge.
A spokesman said: "The hate speech standards applied by UK regulators, particularly Ofcom, must be no less rigorous than those enforced by digital platforms.
“While YouTube has already removed multiple Al Hiwar videos for glorifying the murder of civilians and describing Palestinian perpetrators as 'martyrs' – including two removals just weeks ago following inquiries by the JC – official UK oversight continues to lag behind.’
The spokesman added the authorities “must not continue to stall while this content directly threatens the safety of British Jewish communities".
The Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said although social media platforms fall under the scope of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom had strong powers.
A spokesman said: “Social media platforms fall under the scope of the Online Safety Act. The Act is clear that platforms have legal duties to tackle illegal content, including content which amounts to incitement to violence or hatred, and we expect them to take robust action to protect users.
“Ofcom has strong enforcement powers available, including fines and, in the most serious cases, applying to the courts for business disruption measures.
“We back the regulator to use the full extent of its powers.”
Ofcom said the Broadcasting Code did not apply and under the Online Safety Act, the responsibility to protect people in the UK falls on sites and apps that are in scope of the Act.
A spokesman said: “Our broadcasting rules serve to protect audiences and we take broadcasters’ compliance with these rules seriously. Al-Hiwar stopped broadcasting in the UK in 2023, and prior to that, we twice found it in breach our rules. Our Broadcasting Code does not apply to its YouTube channel."
YouTube said they had removed several Al Hiwar videos for violating its "violent extremist or criminal organisation policy".
A spokesperson said: “YouTube strictly prohibits violent extremism and hate speech. Following a review of the Al-Hiwar channel, we have removed violative content and blocked ads in line with our policies. We allow content to remain on the platform if it has clear educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic value.”
Al-Hiwar have been approached for comment.
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