The BBC’s former director of television is among those who have criticised the broadcaster for not labelling Hamas as terrorists in news broadcasts.
Over the weekend, the Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, with its fighters entering communities near the Gaza Strip, killing more than 800 Israelis and taking dozens of hostages.
Danny Cohen, the former director of television at the BBC, has condemned his former employer’s reluctance to label Hamas a terror group.
Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “This is no time for the BBC or any other UK news organisation to call terrorism anything but what it is.
“Having worked for the BBC, I understand the delicate balancing act it aims to perform. I also know that the BBC employs a great number of dedicated journalists, committed to their profession and their belief in the important role it plays in a healthy democracy.
“This is why it makes it even harder to understand why BBC News is unable to see something for what it is — and call it what it is, without prevarication, without qualification.”
The BBC has described the group as “militants”. Hamas as a whole, or in some cases its military wing, is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and the UK. A resolution to label Hamas a terrorist group failed to pass in the UN in 2018.
Senior Tory MPs have also criticised the broadcaster for its use of language in covering the violence.
Israel has responded with air strikes, killing more than 500 Palestinians. It has ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, leaving the territory with no food, electricity or fuel, and mobilised 300,000 reservists.
The Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant said: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
What is Hamas?
Hamas is a Palestinian militant group which governs the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is a territory of about 365 square kilometres home to more than two million people but blockaded by Israel.
Hamas does not recognise Israel’s right to exist, and wants to replace it with a Palestinian state based on Islamic fundamentalism. It has fought several wars with Israel since it took power in Gaza in 2007.
It was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, during the first Palestinian uprising against the Israeli military control of the West Bank and Gaza.
Hamas is backed by Iran, which funds it and provides weapons and training.
The group as a whole, or in some cases its military wing, is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union and the UK, as well as other powers. A resolution to label Hamas a terrorist group failed to pass in the UN in 2018.
Why hasn’t the BBC labelled Hamas a terrorist organisation?
According to the Daily Mail, a BBC spokesman said: “We reported the Hamas attacks and the response by Israel in line with the BBC’s editorial guidelines. We have included contributors who have condemned the attackers as terrorists.”
The BBC’s online style guide has a specific section on terrorism, which reads: “The word "terrorist" is not banned, but its use can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding. We should not use the term without attribution.
“We should convey to our audience the full consequences of the act by describing what happened. We should use words which specifically describe the perpetrator such as bomber, attacker, gunman, kidnapper, insurgent and militant.
“We should not adopt other people’s language as our own. Our responsibility is to remain objective and report in ways that enable our audiences to make their own assessments about who is doing what to whom.
“While care is needed when describing perpetrators, an action or event can be described as a terror attack or an act of terror.”
How has the BBC responded?
A BBC spokesperson said: “We always take our use of language very seriously. Anyone watching or listening to our coverage will hear the word ‘terrorist’ used many times – we attribute it to those who are using it, for example, the UK Government.
“This is an approach that has been used for decades, and is in line with that of other broadcasters. The BBC is an editorially independent broadcaster whose job is to explain precisely what is happening ‘on the ground’ so our audiences can make their own judgment.”
Who has criticised the BBC’s approach?
Former BBC executive Danny Cohen, writing in the Telegraph, stated: “On the BBC, my former employer, there appears to be a diktat not to use the word ‘terrorism’ even when the acts being reported are terrorism of the most egregious and barbaric kind.
“Across its platforms, the BBC describes the actions of ‘militants’, as if shooting children in cold blood is some part of conventional military warfare. It is nothing of the sort. It is murder, pure and simple. It is terrorism.”
Senior Tory MPs have also criticised the BBC’s reporting.
Lord Eric Pickles, former Tory chairman, said: “Hamas is a terrorist organisation. They are breaking into civilian homes and murdering children. It is beyond belief that the one place you look for balance, the BBC, is not delivering coverage that is fair, balanced or reasonable.
“This is not an isolated incident. They need to get their act together.”
Tory MP Damien Moore said: “It is not appropriate for the BBC to be very clearly taking one side in this conflict. The Israelis only retaliated after a major atack on them. As you would expect from any country that wants to protect its citizens.
“Such action is terrorism and they should be called terrorists.”
