Ozzy and Sharon Osborne are amongst more than 200 leaders from the entertainment and business industries who have signed an open letter calling for a full investigation into the BBC’s bias against Israel.
The letter released by the non-profit organisation Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) comes in response to the airing of the documentary, “Gaza: How to Survive in a Warzone.”
The broadcaster removed the film from its iPlayer platform following intense public backlash and governmental intervention. It has since acknowledged serious journalistic failings in the presentation of the documentary, not only platforming Hamas propaganda with the film’s inclusion of a son of one of the terror organisation’s senior officials but admitting that the family of the Hamas minister was paid with British tax money.
Partner at The Blair Partnership Neil Blair said: “This is the latest in a long line of misreporting the Middle East and sugarcoating Hamas and it shatters public trust in the BBC. The BBC has its own rules to follow, as well as the law of the land, and its approach to both has been cavalier at best. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there needs to be a thorough, independent and transparent investigation process so the BBC can get its house in order and restore public confidence in its output.”
Since October 7th, the British Jewish community has consistently criticised the BBC’s coverage of Israel.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust have accused the BBC as being “institutionally hostile to Israel” and Creative Community For Peace says the airing of the documentary “substantiates the ongoing critiques of the British Jewish community.”
Co-chief executive of Fulwell Entertainment Leo Pearlman said: “As antisemitism explodes across the globe, the spread of misinformation is not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous. When major trusted media outlets like the BBC amplify biased narratives and allow propaganda to be broadcast as truth, it fuels anti-Israel sentiment, emboldens extremists, and puts Jewish communities around the world at risk. Accurate, responsible journalism is not just an ethical obligation; it’s a matter of safety.”
He adds that the letter highlights the gravity of the moment for BBC: “This is a true crisis for the broadcaster, which it is treating as a minor inconvenience whilst its highest paid presenter is allowed to openly deny there is an issue at all.”
CCFP executive director Ari Ingel said, “At a time when accuracy and responsible reporting are more critical than ever, media outlets must uphold the highest standards, not serve as a megaphone for terrorist organisations. This is even more important when the media outlet is a public service broadcaster. So far, BBC’s public response does not reflect the seriousness of their mistakes. They not only failed to inform the public but misled them with Hamas-sanctioned propaganda.”
The statement is the first of its kind – a call from the entertainment and business community to unequivocally condemn the BBC’s response to this crisis. And to call for the establishment of a full independent commission of inquiry into the processes that allowed this documentary to air and to other instances of bias the past 16+ months.
The letter states: “It is time for the BBC to acknowledge that it has a systemic problem of bias against Israel of which this is the tip of the iceberg.”
The letter concludes: “This episode makes mockery of the Reithian Principle – to inform, educate and entertain—widely understood and recognized as a distillation of the BBC’s mission and as such is embedded in the BBC Royal Charter. The board and senior management should be considering their positions.”
The full letter says: “We, the undersigned are calling for a full commission of inquiry into the recent actions taken by the BBC. The BBC has now acknowledged the very serious journalistic failings in their presentation of the documentary, “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone,” and the damage it has caused to the BBC’s reputation.
It is time for the BBC to acknowledge that it has a systemic problem of bias against Israel of which this is the tip of the iceberg. This is a true crisis for the broadcaster, which it is treating as a minor inconvenience whilst its highest paid presenter is allowed to openly deny there is an issue at all.
This episode makes mockery of the Reithian Principle – to inform, educate and entertain—widely understood and recognized as a distillation of the BBC’s mission and as such is embedded in the BBC Royal Charter. The board and senior management should be considering their positions.
The unwillingness of the BBC to address these problems transparently over the last 16+ months is what has led to the debacle.
Not only did the BBC platform a Hamas propaganda documentary — that featured the family of a Hamas leader and inaccurate translations — but it is has now admitted to actually using British taxpayer money to pay the family of a senior Hamas official.
The BBC must allow for a full independent commission of inquiry to investigate the processes that led to this documentary being produced, and the pervasive anti-Israel bias that has been allowed to pervade through the BBC system unobstructed.”
Signatories Include: Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Danny Cohen, Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing, Neil Blair, Partner, Leo Pearlman, Rick Rosen, Professor Jonathan Shalit, Colin Lester, Raye Cosbert, Fernando Szew, David Renzer, Alistair Goldsmith, Ben Silverman, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Noreena Hertz, Lyor Cohen, Brian Message, Jonathan Strauss, Modi Wiczyk, Doug Davis, David Draiman, Lee Trink and Rebecca De Mornay,
To see the full list of signatories, click here.
