Those demanding the BBC reinstate their recent Gaza documentary should be ashamed

The Norma Percy documentary, Israel and the Palestinians: The Road to 7th October, also on the BBC and broadcast this past week, is a shining example of good balanced documentary filmmaking, which as an aside, pointed out that nothing happens in Gaza without Hamas approval and support. Other recent films that have been highly critical of Israel, such as No Other Land and The Bibi Files received no such criticism. And do you want to know why? Because they didn’t abandon basic journalistic standards and simply parrot, unquestioningly, the propaganda of a genocidal death cult.

Of course one shouldn’t pay any attention to those who’ll sign anything, namely the recent open letter, to underline their palpable disapproval of Israel’s continued existence.

Among the signees are high-profile individuals who are proud to place their own worldviews and anti-Israel bias above journalistic principle. I’m sure there are a fair few virtue signallers on the list too and those who in ignorance didn’t really read the letter, and who certainly don’t understand the litany of compliance rules that have been broken, due diligence that was ignored & failures of process.

However, the most worrying names are those experienced filmmakers, BBC staff, and faculty of the National Film and Television School all of whom must know that this film misled the public and regardless of the subject matter, had no right to go out in the form that it did.

The BBC’s own ex-head of news, Roger Mosey, came out this week to criticise what an abject failure of impartiality this has been on the part of his ex-employers, how embarrassing that these signatories purport to know better.

Those who signed that letter should now be fully aware that the BBC has admitted that they should have done better, using the excuse that they were misled by Hoyo films, who clearly had no issue giving money to the family of a senior Hamas politician.

Demanding that this film be shown to the British public under the pretence that it is a factual account and anything other than Hamas propaganda isn't just ethically bereft but brings into question the legitimacy of their own filmmaking standards and principles.

Can you imagine a world in which the BBC would feel comfortable putting out a film narrated by the son of a Russian general about the war in Ukraine?

The fact that Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone is defined by its gross dishonesty & utter failure to adhere to the most basic standards of BBC compliance remains the sole cause of the complaints.

Those who still champion the restoration of this film must be objectively morally bankrupt, allowing hate to persevere over the integral need for a national broadcaster we can trust. To purposefully advocate to mislead the British public, to use one's privileged position within our industry, whether it be as onscreen talent, filmmaker, journalist, or educator, to amplify hate and gaslight the Jewish community is unforgivable.

Leo Pearlman is a senior executive in the entertainment industry.