BBC is accused by British Jewry of ‘institutional bias’ against Israel – as bombshell report claims corporation made ‘false and damaging claims’ about Jewish state’s conduct in Gaza war

The BBC has been accused of ‘institutional bias’ against Israel in a report labeled ‘profoundly troubling’ by the Chief Rabbi.

Sir Ephraim Mirvis has backed calls for an independent inquiry after the report alleged the corporation made ‘false and damaging claims about Israel’s conduct’ in the war in Gaza.

The report is endorsed by three major Jewish organisations – The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust.

In a joint statement they said reporting ‘led many British Jews to conclude that the BBC has become institutionally hostile to Israel’.

Former BBC director of television, Danny Cohen, was central in putting the report together. It used research by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).

Sir Ephraim Mirvis (pictured) has backed calls for an independent inquiry after the report alleged the corporation made ‘false and damaging claims about Israel’s conduct’ in the war in Gaza 

The report said the BBC had made ‘false and damaging claims about Israel’s conduct of this war’ (file image) 

CAMERA was originally set up in the US to tackle ‘general anti-Israel bias’ among a section of the US press.

The report said the BBC had made ‘false and damaging claims about Israel’s conduct of this war’, which remained on its website long after they had been ‘debunked’. 

It also said there had been ‘misleading broadcasts and social media output’.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: ‘Few institutions are as vital for our national cultural identity or for the health of our democracy as the BBC.

‘That’s why the content of this report, which records the repeated and longstanding failure to ensure impartial and accurate news coverage of the existential war that Israel is fighting on multiple fronts, is so profoundly troubling.’

He added: ‘Trust in the BBC is crucial, but trust can only be restored when impartiality is upheld and accountability is ensured.’ 

Among the examples singled out in the report are that on the day of the October 7th massacre, the BBC ‘led its coverage’ with a headline about ‘Israeli revenge attacks’.

It also pointed to the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas ‘terrorists’, because it would be regarded as ‘taking sides’ and that it had incorrectly reported that Israeli soldiers had been ‘targeting’ medical teams.

The report said the BBC had made ‘false and damaging claims about Israel’s conduct of this war’ (pictured: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) 

It also pointed to the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas ‘terrorists’, because it would be regarded as ‘taking sides’ (pictured: The aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Be’eri kibbutz in Israel) 

Among the report’s recommendations were the independent inquiry and a ‘thorough review’ of its recruitment policy at BBC Arabic.

Mr Cohen and former BBC governor Baroness Deech claimed in the report’s foreword that ‘you will find here example after example of lax journalistic standards and institutional bias against Israel’.

A BBC spokesman said: ‘The Israel Gaza conflict is a polarising and difficult story to cover and we understand there are a range of views.

‘The BBC has focused on reporting the conflict impartially, bringing audiences breaking news, insight and analysis, and reflecting all perspectives.

‘While we do not recognise the overall characterisation of our journalism in this report, we will of course always look at anything raised with us with care and attention.’