(DailyVantage.com) – The BBC is receiving heavy backlash from online audiences, as several journalists employed by BBC News Arabic seemingly praised Hamas following its attack on Israel. The journalists in question work for BBC News Arabic, which receives funding and resources from the United Kingdom.
Following the attacks on Israel, several Arabic journalists working for the news organization supported Hamas, prompting an internal investigation. The controversy started when several articles from BBC News Arabic referred to Hamas as freedom fighters and claimed that the atrocities committed by the militant group are a “proud scene.”
According to other journalists, this isn’t the first time that BBC News Arabic “whitewashed” the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. According to Camera Arabic, an organization that monitors various Middle Eastern outlets’ coverage of events related to Israel, BBC News Arabic regularly misrepresents events to make militant extremist groups seem more favorable. The BBC claimed that it would investigate the reporting of certain outlets to examine a potential bias and confirmed that disciplinary action would follow.
The BBC is already punishing reporters who fail to classify Hamas as a “terror group,” as certain journalists working for the BBC are currently suspended for liking social media posts that indicate Israel is an aggressor in the conflict with the militant group. So far, the BBC has removed six different journalists from the air for making anti-Semitic posts on social media or liking posts covering Hamas favorably. The ongoing effort by certain journalists to portray Hamas as a freedom-fighting group is concerning to many international journalists, who feel that a decline in support for Israel could embolden other militant groups to take similar action elsewhere.
Certain nations are already taking precautions to prevent Hamas from gaining support, such as the United Kingdom, which is devoting resources to law enforcement to prevent pro-Hamas groups from gaining support on a national level. Britain’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, stated that if anyone incites violence based on religion or race, that constitutes an illegal act. Sunak’s comments respond to reporters asking if people waving Palestine flags are committing a crime. While remaining vague about the illegality of supporting Hamas, Sunak’s comments indicate law enforcement will devote more resources to focusing on supporters of Hamas.
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