Senior BBC producer admits sharing 'inaccurate' pro-Palestinian propaganda on Twitter

 
She also shared a tweet of an article written for the anti-Israel publication Middle East Eye which suggested controversial activist Ahed Tamimi had become an “icon for Palestinian resistance.”
 
Then in November 2018 she shared another post blaming Israel and a “botched uncover ops in Gaza”  for breaking a ceasefire with Islamist group Hamas.
 
The JC has learned that only days before starting his new role at the BBC, Mr Davie was amongst those to receive a letter from the vice-president of the City of David organisation raising concerns over the new programme Ms Garthwaite was producing for BBC Arabia.
 
In a letter also sent to the BBC chairman Sir David Clementi  and Ms Garthwaite herself, it was suggested she “has repeatedly presented us with one-sided and inaccurate statements” and that the programme “intends to vilify Israel, Jewish history and Jewish charities and present a number of false and misleading claims.”
 
The producer, who has previously worked for the Al Jazeera channel, also wrote to City of David’s Doron Spielman saying she believed the programme – which she said was  being made as “part of an international investigation involving major media organisations in liaison with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists” - was “going to be a fair and accurate account of events.”
 
Mr Spielman agreed to given an interview for the documentary earlier this summer in which he faced questions about the role of Elad and the City of David organisation in the building of Israeli settlements and the carrying out of  archaeological digs in “occupied territory in East Jerusalem.”
 
He told the JC he did not dispute that the BBC has the right to “fully investigate the story.” But he said “what is unacceptable is that in this case and in many others involving the BBC their investigation seemed to be biased from the outset.”
 
Mr Spielman said he agreed to give his interview after Ms Garthwaite assured him she would produce a “fair and balanced documentary.”
 
He said he believed he had answered all the questions put to him but that to his “dismay, but surprise, the producer sent me a list of follow up questions.”
 
The JC put these claims to Ms Garthwaite and the BBC. A spokesperson said: "We do not comment on investigations”. It was also stressed that one right of reply does not reflect an entire investigation.
 
In further correspondence seen by the JC, Ms Garthwaite tells Mr Spielman the forthcoming documentary for BBC Arabia includes claims about Russian billionaire “Roman Abramovich's relationship with Elad”.
 
She tells Mr Spielman that journalists on the programme “have been investigating donations made by Mr. Abramovich to Elad in Israel” adding that the “BBC has learned that BVI-registered companies that have donated $100 million to Elad between 2005-2018 are controlled and/or owned by Mr. Abramovich.”
 
She adds: ”Elad actively builds Israeli settlements and carries out archaeological digs in occupied territory in East Jerusalem; both of these activities are considered illegal under international law.”
 
Ms Garthwaite also says the documentary “will go out in Arabic and English and many other languages across the BBC network as well as in news, radio, digital, and social media formats” later this year.
 
Ms Garthwaite writes that the programme will investigate the “settling of Jewish people in occupied land” and takes issue with Mr Spielman’s claim that the Elad organisation was “David to the opposition’s Goliath in terms of funding.”
 
She writes of Mr Abramovich’s donations to the organisation: ”Elad is supported by Israel's richest citizen, as well as by the Israeli government” and adds that the “entire annual budget” of the Palestinian Authority is “smaller than Mr Abramovich’s fortune.”
 
Responding, Mr Spielman wrote: “You state that Elad participates in illegally settling 'Jewish people'. There are no international legal issues which apply to the 'Jewish People' which is an ethnoreligious group.
 
“If objections are made, they are regarding 'Israelis', which is based on citizenship, not based on ethnicity or religion.
 
“Your claims involving the "Jewish people" are careless at best and antisemitic at worst. I would ask that you explain your intentions here.”
 
He also accused BBC journalists of approaching “summer interns” who worked at the City of David years ago, “chasing them and asking leading questions” on matters they had no knowledge of.
 
Ms Garthwaite, who has presented programmes for BBC World News, is also the author of a book, How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone.