Spare us the pearl-clutching from broadcasters who fan the flames of antisemitism

I’ll tell you where: standing in front of the autocue reading out every one of the lies and every part of the Hamas propaganda that has poured petrol on the fire of Jew hate. Because the broadcasters – the producers, the reporters and the presenters – who have been so saccharinely bewailing what happened in Manchester on Yom Kippur are themselves a large part of the problem. They bear much responsibility for an atmosphere in which Jew hate has been soaring in scale and intensity. Their portrayal of Israel as a unique evil in the world is the glue which binds the strands of rising antisemitism together.

But don’t hold your breath for any self-awareness. Interviewed on Thursday’s Sky News, Lord Walney (the former Labour MP and, until February, the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption) made exactly this point about Sky News’ own coverage of the Gaza war. How very dare he! The presenter, Jayne Secker, could – of course – not allow this to pass. But her response was what one might call circular: “The reason that Israel has received a great deal of coverage on Sky News and all of the UK media in the last few months is because of the situation in Gaza and it’s a situation in which horrific things are happening that many, many people care about.” QED.

There was a similar response on the BBC news channel when Gideon Falter of the Campaign Against Antisemitism was asked about his earlier comment that the corporation had become a de facto propagandist for Hamas: “In your statement you singled out the BBC. You said, ‘It is the bias and moral collapse of the broadcaster that has essentially turned them into spokespeople for Hamas.’ You can’t seriously think that the BBC is a mouthpiece for Hamas?” As if anyone could think that of a broadcaster which still refuses to describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation without the preamble that it has been labelled thus by the government! As if anyone could think that of a broadcaster which repeatedly interviews Hamas sympathisers without pointing out their background or critiquing their views. As if anyone could think that of a broadcaster which regurgitates uncritically Hamas’ lies about the withholding of aid. As if anyone could think that of a broadcaster which reports Hamas’ casualty figures as if they are some sort of independently verified statement of fact. As if anyone could think that of a broadcaster which allows the accusation that Israel is committing genocide to pass without comment, let alone correction. As if anyone could think that of a broadcaster which covers the hate marches as if they are some sort of peaceful protest against supposed war crimes. As if!

It is, obviously, right and important that broadcasters have taken seriously a fatal terrorist attack on Jews. But that’s not the issue. The issue is that for two years – and, in reality, for decades – they have fed a narrative of Israel as some sort of colonialist state that is, as Lord Walney put it, uniquely evil. And they now have the gall to behave as if they are part of the battle against Jew hate. Chutzpah has its latest definition.