Another week, another utter disgrace for the BBC when it comes to antisemitism and the safety of Britain’s Jewish community.
This time the setting was Glastonbury. The BBC has been broadcasting live from the festival for many years. It employs hundreds of people to cover the event at significant expense to licence-fee payers. It is meant to have systems in place to ensure that racist, offensive content is not broadcast.
So how was it possible on Saturday afternoon that the rap duo Bob Vylan were allowed to broadcast live on the BBC chanting “death to the IDF” and talking about “f-ing Zionists”? Why was the live feed not immediately cut? Why did BBC executives allow the racist rant to continue unchecked?
The BBC’s own editorial guidelines state the following: “Material that contains hate speech should not be included in output unless it is justified by the context. Broadcasting hate speech can constitute a criminal offence if it is intended or likely to stir up hatred relating to race, or intended to stir up hatred relating to religious belief”.
So has the BBC committed a criminal offence in broadcasting this hateful, racist material? The police should investigate, as should the BBC’s Board, led by Chairman Samir Shah. How much longer can they tolerate the failings of BBC leadership on antisemitism and bias? Director General Tim Davie and his executives have had more than eighteen months to get a grip and yet this weekend’s debacle shows the BBC’s problems are getting ever worse not better.
It is also time for the government and Ofcom to act. The BBC has repeatedly shown itself unable to get its own house in order on antisemitism, whether that be the racism broadcast live this weekend from Glastonbury, the consistent Jew-hate and bias from reporters on BBC Arabic or the debacle of the Gaza documentary that the corporation was forced to pull because, amongst other things, a payment had been made to the family of a Hamas official.
The BBC’s editorial failings on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias are now so numerous, so widespread and so consistent that perhaps I should not be surprised. But to see our national broadcaster allow this racist rant to be aired was stomach-churning.
Many Jews I have spoken to feel the same: a mixture of shock, disgust, sadness and fear. There is disbelief that the BBC gave a platform to those inciting violence against Jews and gleefully telling racist stories.
The BBC has hit a new low. It is, frankly, unforgivable.
Danny Cohen is a former director of BBC Television
Another week, another utter disgrace for the BBC when it comes to antisemitism and the safety of Britain’s Jewish community.
This time the setting was Glastonbury. The BBC has been broadcasting live from the festival for many years. It employs hundreds of people to cover the event at significant expense to licence-fee payers. It is meant to have systems in place to ensure that racist, offensive content is not broadcast.
So how was it possible on Saturday afternoon that the rap duo Bob Vylan were allowed to broadcast live on the BBC chanting “death to the IDF” and talking about “f-ing Zionists”? Why was the live feed not immediately cut? Why did BBC executives allow the racist rant to continue unchecked?
The BBC’s own editorial guidelines state the following: “Material that contains hate speech should not be included in output unless it is justified by the context. Broadcasting hate speech can constitute a criminal offence if it is intended or likely to stir up hatred relating to race, or intended to stir up hatred relating to religious belief”.
So has the BBC committed a criminal offence in broadcasting this hateful, racist material? The police should investigate, as should the BBC’s Board, led by Chairman Samir Shah. How much longer can they tolerate the failings of BBC leadership on antisemitism and bias? Director General Tim Davie and his executives have had more than eighteen months to get a grip and yet this weekend’s debacle shows the BBC’s problems are getting ever worse not better.
It is also time for the government and Ofcom to act. The BBC has repeatedly shown itself unable to get its own house in order on antisemitism, whether that be the racism broadcast live this weekend from Glastonbury, the consistent Jew-hate and bias from reporters on BBC Arabic or the debacle of the Gaza documentary that the corporation was forced to pull because, amongst other things, a payment had been made to the family of a Hamas official.
The BBC’s editorial failings on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias are now so numerous, so widespread and so consistent that perhaps I should not be surprised. But to see our national broadcaster allow this racist rant to be aired was stomach-churning.
Many Jews I have spoken to feel the same: a mixture of shock, disgust, sadness and fear. There is disbelief that the BBC gave a platform to those inciting violence against Jews and gleefully telling racist stories.
The BBC has hit a new low. It is, frankly, unforgivable.
Danny Cohen is a former director of BBC Television