LONDON: The BBC is preparing to launch an independent investigation into its Arabic-language service following allegations that it has featured contributors accused of antisemitic remarks and support for Hamas.
BBC Chairman Dr. Samir Shah confirmed over the weekend that the corporation would appoint an external figure to lead a review into the broadcaster’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict and examine the issues raised by a recent report in The Telegraph.
“The Arabic service, we are looking at it, we’ve been examining it,” Shah told Times Radio. “I think this whole business of how we’ve covered Israel-Gaza is a proper thing to examine thoroughly, which is why we’re going to identify … we’re going to get hold of an independent figure to look at our coverage.”
According to BBC sources cited by UK media, the review will be “independent and published in full” and presented to the BBC board as part of a broader evaluation of its Middle East reporting.
Shah, who became chairman of the BBC in March 2024, said the corporation must remain vigilant regarding bias but maintained that the BBC continues to be a trusted source for impartial news.
The announcement follows a report by The Telegraph that some contributors to BBC Arabic had made antisemitic comments or expressed support for Hamas, a group proscribed as a terrorist organization by the UK, US, EU, and others, including Saudi Arabia.
One contributor, Gaza-based journalist Samer Elzaenen, reportedly posted in 2011 that Jews should be burned “as Hitler did.” Another, Ahmed Qannan, allegedly praised a 2022 shooter who killed five people in Israel and expressed hope that victims of a 2023 synagogue shooting would die.
The BBC has said that neither contributor is a member of staff but did not deny their appearances on air. Both are understood to be freelance contributors.
The broadcaster is also facing criticism over a recent documentary on the war in Gaza, after it was revealed that the narrator was the son of a Hamas government minister — information that was not disclosed in the film. The BBC said it was unaware of the familial connection at the time of production.
The documentary has since been removed from its on-demand platform pending a separate review.
The incident has reignited debate over the BBC’s editorial stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, with critics on both sides accusing it of bias. Hundreds of media figures have defended the film, arguing that a narrator’s family connections should not disqualify them from participating or undermine their testimony and criticizing the BBC for pulling an “essential piece of journalism” that offers “a rare perspective on the lived experiences of Palestinians.”
The BBC, which has been marred by controversy since conflict broke out between Hamas and Israel in October 2023, has also faced political pressure over its decision not to label Hamas a terrorist organization in its reporting.
Defending the approach, Shah told Times Radio the BBC board had agreed to use the term only when it is attributed to a source, consistent with the broadcaster’s editorial guidelines.
