UK
BBC apologises to Israeli embassy after asking for anti-Netanyahu speaker
Corporation admits 'serious mistake' in request for speaker on news programme
March 20, 2025 14:06
Corporation admits 'serious mistake' in request for speaker on news programme
March 20, 2025 14:06The BBC has issued an “unreserved apology” to the Israeli embassy after a producer requested a guest who would be critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The corporation admitted the request was a “serious mistake” that “clearly falls well below our standards.”
The controversy arose when a BBC World Service producer contacted the Israeli embassy in London on Thursday morning, seeking a guest for the Newshour programme who would be “critical of Netanyahu.”
In a message sent to members of the Israeli embassy in London, a BBC booker for the programme asked for a guest to criticise the latest ground offensive in Gaza.
A WhatsApp message from the show’s producer said: “Our presenter [...] would like to interview an Israeli military voice (can be former) about the latest ground offensive in Gaza.”
The message went on: “We want someone who is going to be critical of Netanyahu and the ground offense (concern about remaining hostages, stretching the IDF capacity, destruction of Gaza or any other reason) [sic]. Do you think you could help with this?”
🚨BBC BIAS (yet again)
— Orly Goldschmidt 🎗️ (@Orlygoldschmidt) March 20, 2025
Today my team received this remarkable message from a @BBC producer at @bbcworldservice.
They don’t want to interview someone knowledgeable, nor someone relevant, just someone who fits the predetermined narrative.
There is nothing balanced or impartial… pic.twitter.com/pm0loEeUFG
The JC understands that the same message was sent to others connected with experts in the Israeli military.
Embassy spokeswoman Orly Goldschmidt slammed the message, citing it as evidence of alleged “BBC bias”. Posting a screenshot of the note on X, she wrote: “Today my team received this remarkable message from a BBC producer at BBC World Service.
“They don’t want to interview someone knowledgeable, nor someone relevant, just someone who fits the predetermined narrative. There is nothing balanced or impartial about this.”
In a statement to the JC about the request to the embassy, the BBC said: “This was a serious mistake which we have looked into. It clearly falls well below our standards. We apologise unreservedly to the Israeli Embassy.”
The BBC charter states that the corporation is “committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output. This commitment is fundamental to our reputation, our values and the trust of audiences.”
The incident comes amid ongoing controversy over the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. The corporation has faced sustained criticism from Israeli officials and Jewish groups over its handling of the war.
Last month, the BBC was forced to remove a documentary about the war in Gaza which was narrated by the son of a Hamas official.