BBC bans Gaza contributor Ahmed Alagha from its Arabic channel after he described Jews as “devils” and Israelis as “less than human” on social media.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has banned Gaza-based contributor Ahmed Alagha from its Arabic channel after it was revealed he described Jews as “devils” and Israelis as “less than human”, The Telegraph reported.
Alagha, a regular contributor to BBC Arabic’s reporting from Gaza since January of last year, made the incendiary remarks on social media, according to the report.
Following the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent Israeli bombing of Gaza tower blocks, Alagha posted on X, “This is not a Hollywood film; this is what was done to these towers in Gaza City at the hands of the Israeli occupation, and it’s happening to us in Gaza. It [the Israeli occupation] is the embodiment of filth, the unrivalled swamp of wickedness. As for the Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites.”
The following day, he added, “And as we know, the ‘Israelis’ are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.”
Despite The Telegraph’s initial exposé in April, Alagha appeared twice more on BBC Arabic, including hours after the story broke and again on May 12. His continued appearances prompted the BBC to issue a directive to its Arabic channel to cease using him.
Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television, expressed outrage, remarking, “It is both horrifying and astonishing that a reporter who has spouted antisemitism was allowed back on air after his vile racism was exposed… The fact that he was allowed to return after his racism became public knowledge is further evidence of the deep-seated systemic problems of bias, extremism and antisemitism at BBC Arabic.” Cohen further suggested, “If the BBC Arabic service cannot be reformed, it should be shut down.”
A BBC spokesman confirmed, “Ahmed Alagha is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBC’s reporting team. His social media posts do not reflect the BBC’s view, and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for antisemitism on our services. We will not be using him as a contributor in this way again.”
Alagha has since removed his X social media account.
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the BBC and its anti-Israel bias, which has reared its head even more since October 7, 2023.
In November of 2023, the corporation published an apology after falsely claiming that IDF troops were targeting medical teams in battles in and around the Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
Before that, the BBC falsely accused Israel of being responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza, which the IDF proved was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket. The network later acknowledged that “it was false to speculate” on the explosion.
Earlier this year, the BBC faced mounting scrutiny for using the son of a senior Hamas official as a narrator in its documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.”
Following the criticism, the British broadcaster acknowledged that there were “serious flaws” in the program. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later said he is “concerned” by the documentary.The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has banned Gaza-based contributor Ahmed Alagha from its Arabic channel after it was revealed he described Jews as “devils” and Israelis as “less than human”, The Telegraph reported.
Alagha, a regular contributor to BBC Arabic’s reporting from Gaza since January of last year, made the incendiary remarks on social media, according to the report.
Following the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent Israeli bombing of Gaza tower blocks, Alagha posted on X, “This is not a Hollywood film; this is what was done to these towers in Gaza City at the hands of the Israeli occupation, and it’s happening to us in Gaza. It [the Israeli occupation] is the embodiment of filth, the unrivalled swamp of wickedness. As for the Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites.”
The following day, he added, “And as we know, the ‘Israelis’ are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.”
Despite The Telegraph’s initial exposé in April, Alagha appeared twice more on BBC Arabic, including hours after the story broke and again on May 12. His continued appearances prompted the BBC to issue a directive to its Arabic channel to cease using him.
Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television, expressed outrage, remarking, “It is both horrifying and astonishing that a reporter who has spouted antisemitism was allowed back on air after his vile racism was exposed… The fact that he was allowed to return after his racism became public knowledge is further evidence of the deep-seated systemic problems of bias, extremism and antisemitism at BBC Arabic.” Cohen further suggested, “If the BBC Arabic service cannot be reformed, it should be shut down.”
A BBC spokesman confirmed, “Ahmed Alagha is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBC’s reporting team. His social media posts do not reflect the BBC’s view, and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for antisemitism on our services. We will not be using him as a contributor in this way again.”
Alagha has since removed his X social media account.
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the BBC and its anti-Israel bias, which has reared its head even more since October 7, 2023.
In November of 2023, the corporation published an apology after falsely claiming that IDF troops were targeting medical teams in battles in and around the Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
Before that, the BBC falsely accused Israel of being responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza, which the IDF proved was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket. The network later acknowledged that “it was false to speculate” on the explosion.
Earlier this year, the BBC faced mounting scrutiny for using the son of a senior Hamas official as a narrator in its documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.”
Following the criticism, the British broadcaster acknowledged that there were “serious flaws” in the program. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later said he is “concerned” by the documentary.
In another incident several months ago, BBC News presenter Nicky Shiller referred to three hostages who were released by Hamas as “prisoners”, similar to the term used for the terrorists imprisoned in Israel.
His remarks sparked an uproar, leading the network to apologize.
In March, the British corporation issued an apology after using footage of the Israeli city of Tiberias – located well within Israel’s internationally recognized borders – while discussing “settlements” in the Golan Heights.
