UK
Traitors contestant compared Israeli checkpoints to Nazi Germany
Marzook Bana also accused UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being subservient to his ‘paymasters’ and said that ‘Zionists have short term memories’
January 13, 2026 11:29
Marzook Bana also accused UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being subservient to his ‘paymasters’ and said that ‘Zionists have short term memories’
January 13, 2026 11:29A contestant on hit BBC series The Traitors compared Israeli checkpoints to Nazi Germany, saying that "the oppressed have become the oppressors", it has emerged.
Retired police officer Marzook Bana, 59, who appeared on this year's edition of the programme, shared an image of the Israeli security gates on X in 2021, writing: "Nazis all over again, the oppressed have become the oppressors!! The Zionists have short memories of what Hitler did.
"Never again they said!! The world’s political leaders should be ashamed of themselves [for] being subservient to ISRAEL!”
He also took aim at British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of being subservient to his "paymasters".
These "paymasters" were labelled in a comment by another X user under his post as the “pro-Israeli lobby, the Board of Deputies and anyone else who finds the idea of Palestinians having human rights abhorrent” - a comment liked by Bana.
Studio Lambert, the UK-based production company that produces The Traitors, said his comments were not detected as part of due diligence checks, according to the Times.
The studio said: “We employ reputable companies to conduct thorough background and social media checks as part of our due diligence, which we take extremely seriously.
“The comments referenced in the article were made on third-party accounts rather than the individual’s own so could not be identified through our checking process.
"We wish to be clear that political views play no part in participation, selection or decision-making within the game. And of course, the content of The Traitors is not political.”
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said: "The contestant presented to us by the BBC appears to believe in deranged conspiracy theories, claiming that world leaders are in hock to shadowy ‘paymasters’ and Israel, and that ‘Zionists’ are the new Nazis.
“This is the language of fanatics and extremists. Either the BBC did absolutely no due diligence on the people it has thrust into our living rooms through its flagship primetime programme, or it found these posts and did not bat an eyelid.
“An apology should be aired during the next episode for his inclusion, and the senior BBC staff responsible for overseeing this programme should be hauled before the House of Commons culture select committee to account for this latest outrage.”
The BBC told The Times: “We were completely unaware that these comments had been posted on social media, due to the fact they were made on third-party accounts. We do not agree with the views presented.”
Bana later apologised for his social media posts, saying: "I apologise for any offence my comments may have caused. It’s never been my intention to offend, marginalise or discriminate against any individual or group.
"I refute any allegations that I am antisemitic. My viewpoint has always been from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political one.”
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