Ofcom investigating after BBC claims ‘nothing to see here’
The BBC has published its long-awaited report into its decision to broadcast and then take down a documentary purportedly about children’s lives in Gaza. The film was removed from iPlayer after it was revealed that its thirteen-year-old narrator was the son of a senior Hamas official.
In February, the BBC apologised after an interim report identified “serious flaws” in the making of Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, which was made for the BBC by production company Hoyo Films.
After the revelation of the identity of the narrator by researcher David Collier, Campaign Against Antisemitism organised two protests at Broadcasting House, where we called for the BBC to stop whitewashing terrorism and stop serving as spokespeople for Hamas. We also launched a campaign across national newspapers, calling for the suspension of the licence fee, pending an independent investigation. Our petition making that demand has received tens of thousands of signatures.
This new report, which sheds little additional light, has been led by Peter Johnston, the BBC’s Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, which is reportedly independent of BBC News and reports directly to Director General Tim Davie.
We’ve waited months for this report, only for the BBC to try to bury it under Greg Wallace’s professional corpse. Even so, the report says nothing we didn’t already know: paying licence fee money to a Hamas family was bad. The report yields no new insight, and almost reads like it’s trying to exonerate the BBC. The recommendations are frankly insulting. The only one with any merit – which isn’t even in the final list – is to consider introducing more accurate translations of Arabic curses against Jews, which the BBC has been wilfully mistranslating for decades.
The BBC is a place where bias is so ingrained that something like this could happen in the first place. This report fails to grapple with that issue in any way. We expected that from an internal BBC report, which is why we have called from the start for a thorough external investigation into bias in the BBC’s Middle East coverage and a suspension of the licence fee until that happens.
Now, Ofcom has announced that it is opening its own investigation, saying: “Having examined the BBC’s findings, we are launching an investigation under our rule, which states that factual programmes must not materially mislead the audience.”
But this is about more than just this Gaza ‘documentary’. From Glastonbury to Gary Lineker, the BBC has disgraced itself again and again.
If the BBC were an accountable organisation, senior executives would be scrambling to save their jobs. Instead, it’s the usual weasel pledge to ‘update some guidelines’. This is appalling. Under Director General Tim Davie, the BBC has gone from national treasure to national embarrassment. He needs to go.
We are in discussion with the police about taking Britain’s March Against Antisemitism to Broadcasting House on 7th September, because we cannot tackle antisemitism in Britain until we tackle the rot at the BBC.
Will you be able to say that you were there?
Over the weekend, our spokespeople were on television and radio explaining how the findings of a Government-backed report into antisemitism, which will be shocking to many ordinary Britons, reflect the everyday reality for British Jews.
But raising awareness is only the first step. If we want change, we need to fight for it.
Join us on Sunday 7th September in Central London for Britain’s March Against Antisemitism.
Will you be able to say that you were there and helped fight for change?
From TikTok to jail
Shakeel Yunis, 44, of Craven Street, Coventry, has been sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment after he admitted to conveying a threat of serious harm in connection with a TikTok video in which he targeted a Jewish man whom he believed to be serving in the IDF.
In the video, Mr Yunis said that if the Jewish man was “caught in Nando’s with his family, people are not going to care. They’re going to drag him away from his family in front of his family…If he’s in his home, people are gonna go through his home like [name of victim] did with others in Gaza.” Speaking directly to the camera, Mr Yunis said: “Do you think that people like me and many thousands with us are going to leave your people alone?”
Mr Yunis also said in the video: “You’re going to see the consequences of your actions.” Apparently referring to Israel, he also said: “You see everything you’ve got your soldiers to do to others is now going to be returned to them tenfold.”
The victim moved homes, removed his image from social media and began using an alias due to fears for his safety as a result of the incident.
At the time that the video was published, the victim was soon due to give a talk at King’s College London as part of his charity work. Whilst Mr Yunis believed that the victim was serving in the IDF at the time of the video, in fact, the victim had already completed his service.
Campaign Against Antisemitism reported Mr Yunis to the Metropolitan Police on 28th March 2024, shortly after the video was published on TikTok.
On 19th June 2024, Campaign Against Antisemitism was granted a summons by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court to charge Mr Yunis in a private prosecution. He was charged with one count of sending a message that conveyed a threat of serious harm contrary to section 181 of the Online Safety Act 2023 and one count of sending, by means of a public electronic communications network matter, a message of a menacing character contrary to section 127(1)(a) and (3) of the Communications Act 2003.
Mr Yunis was arrested on 2nd August 2024, after which Campaign Against Antisemitism requested that the court proceedings adjourn whilst the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed its own charges against Mr Yunis. Campaign Against Antisemitism then requested that the court adjourn, as it was confirmed that the CPS’s charges related to the same conduct as in the private prosecution. The CPS then saw its case through to conviction and sentencing.
On 22nd August 2024, Mr Yunis pleaded guilty to one count of sending a communication threatening death or serious harm.
The court heard that Mr Yunis had “strong political views” but denied targeting people due to their race or religion. Matthew Cullen, Mr Yunis’ barrister, argued that he was acting on incorrect information and that he felt “severe guilt” about the matter.
The sentencing judge said: “It was a very serious offence which undermines the operation of a stable and civilised society. The need for deterrence is established and is a highly relevant and important factor in your case.”
Shakeel Yunis’ sentencing marks a victory against those who feel that they can target and endanger Jews with impunity. When antisemitism crosses the criminal threshold, there must be ruinous consequences, and that is exactly what Mr Yunis is facing.
We are pleased to have played an important role in bringing this outcome about, and we thank the police and the CPS for treating this case with the seriousness that it merits.
Arrests of Palestine Action supporters after Campaign Against Antisemitism tip-off to police
Last week, our Online Investigations and Monitoring Unit uncovered and exposed plans by a group of fanatics encouraging people to hold signs in support of the now-proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action this weekend. We shared these plans with The Telegraph.
The group advised potential protesters: “Although there’s a substantial risk of arrest, and all taking part should be prepared for that, the indications from Saturday are that the stakes for action-takers are relatively low.”
The fact that this group believed that the stakes are low for those who risk breaking the law showed that any appearance of weak enforcement would not deter those prepared to show their support for a terrorist organisation. We informed Counter Terrorism Policing and the Metropolitan Police.
After we tipped off police forces in advance of the protests, police made some 70 arrests over the weekend.
Any individuals found to have committed terror offences must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Extremism in this country must be confronted, and the law must be enforced.
Success: Hamas to remain banned in the UK
The Home Office has announced that Hamas will not be de-proscribed, following the organisation’s application to be removed from the UK’s list of banned terror groups.
Campaign Against Antisemitism provided a detailed dossier to the Home Secretary in response to Hamas’ application, and we welcome this decision.
Hamas can now appeal to the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission. As we have said before, we will never allow Hamas to be de-proscribed in the UK, and will fight in court if necessary.
Meanwhile, following complaints by us and others to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding Fahad Ansari, one of Hamas’ lawyers, an investigation has been opened. His law firm is reportedly ceasing to trade as a regular legal practice and the organisation changed its name from Riverway Law to Riverway to the Sea. The name is a blatant reference to the phrase “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free,” which most British Jews regard as an antisemitic call to destroy the Jewish state, according to our representative polling.
The SRA is investigating Mr Ansari’s social media activity, and we have also submitted complaints to the Bar Standards Board regarding the barristers involved in Hamas’ application in relation to their rhetoric.
Time to proscribe the IRGC and the Houthis
With Palestine Action now proscribed – another major success – and Hamas’ application for de-proscribed rejected, it is time for the Home Office finally to turn its attention to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ansar Allah (the Houthis).
At the recent debate in the House of Commons on the proscription of Palestine Action, Sir Iain Duncan Smith rightly raised the issue of the IRGC, saying: “This debate has cast into light the fact that we have taken no action to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Given all the elements that we are discussing today, this question sits like the elephant in the room: why are we not proscribing the IRGC?…That would have a huge impact on terrorism, or aspects of terrorism.”
He also pointed out that “When in opposition, the Government campaigned to proscribe the IRGC.” So why has it not happened yet?
Then, on Thursday, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee released a major report revealing that Iran has targeted “prominent Jewish individuals” among at least fifteen attempts to kill or kidnap people in Britain.
The report states: “When summarising Iran’s approach to the UK, the Intelligence Community noted that Iran…represents a significant threat to Israeli and Jewish entities.”
Among its top priorities of maintaining the theocratic regime and protecting Shia interests worldwide, targeting Jews and Israelis is a key goal of the Islamic Republic. The IRGC is the key instrument for executing these objectives.
The report notes media reports that the IRGC has allegedly attempted to radicalise British university students through online talks in which IRGC officers espoused antisemitic and violent views, urging students to support illegal attacks and venerating people who had carried out acts of aggression.
The report further says: “The Home Office has rightly proscribed several Iran-supported groups assessed to be concerned in terrorism – such as Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Lebanese Hizbollah – but there are increasingly calls for the UK to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.”
It concludes: “The Government should fully examine whether it would be legally possible and practicable to proscribe the IRGC and, if so, what the arguments are both for and against – and make a full statement to Parliament.”
We welcome this critical report into a regime that threatens British Jews and the UK and its national interests more generally. The IRGC is the principal instrument by which Iran puts these threats into practice. Prior to the election, this Government promised to proscribe. It must now keep its word.
You can help to make it happen by signing the petition: antisemitism.org/BanTheIRGC.
“How Did The Zionist Lobby Take Control Of White House Decisions?”
This week, the front of a newspaper in Yemen (called “26 September”) aligned to Ansar Allah (the Houthis) contained a cartoon showing an octopus wearing a Jewish skullcap taking over the White House, with the headline: “How Did The Zionist Lobby Take Control Of White House Decisions?”
Meanwhile, the Houthis, whose slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse be upon the Jews, Victory to Islam”, continue to target shipping and fire missiles at civilians in Israel.
None of this is new, and we have long called for Ansar Allah to be proscribed in the UK. Why has it still not happened?
Answering your questions on antisemitism
“Jews did 9/11?”
“Can Jews be antisemitic?”
“Is anti-Zionism the same as antisemitism?”
You asked. So we sat down and answered. You can hear the answers here.
If you would like to ask us a question about antisemitism, please e-mail [email protected].
Fight antisemitism in schools and on campuses
Do you want to support Jewish students on campus and develop the skills and experience to become a powerful voice in the fight against antisemitism?
We are looking for a full-time paid School and Campus Educator for up to eight months, starting in September 2025.
For more information and to apply, please visit antisemitism.org/jobs.
Palestine Action has been proscribed and its supporters are being arrested, Hamas’s attempt to become de-proscribed as a terrorist organisation has failed after we provided the Home Secretary with a detailed legal submission, and someone threatening a Jew on TikTok has gone to prison after we launched a private prosecution. There are successes in this fight.
But the BBC still refuses to take responsibility for its failings and cannot even acknowledge the rot within, let alone act against it.
That is why we must make our voices heard. We hope that you will march with us on 7th September.
