The BBC is under pressure to refer to Hamas as “terrorists” and not as “militants” or “fighters” as the politics of the Israel-Palestinian conflict has spilled over into the UK.
Addressing a Jewish community vigil opposite Downing Street, the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, condemned Hamas to loud cheers: “Let us be clear what the world has witnessed. These weren’t as some in the media say militants or fighters. They were terrorists. They were murderers. They were barbarians and the BBC or whoever else we see on the television should say it as it is.”
Their comments came after Jewish groups took the BBC to task for sticking to its editorial standards. The Board of Jewish Deputies has written to the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, calling on her to push the BBC to reframe its guidelines.
For the time being, the BBC, which has had the same problem in dealing with such issues as Khalistan, is not budging.
The BBC’s editorial guidelines, last updated in 2019, state that words relating to “terror” and “terrorism” are “emotive” and have “significant political overtones”.
It states that “we should not use the term ‘terrorist’ without attribution” as it is “a barrier rather than an aid to understanding”, advising instead the use of words “such as ‘bomber’, ‘attacker’, ‘gunman’, ‘kidnapper’, ‘insurgent’, and ‘militant’”.
The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who has led the way in backing Israel, attended a vigil on Monday night at the Finchley United Synagogue in London for victims and hostages of Hamas attacks. He entered the synagogue wearing a kippah, a traditional Jewish head-covering.
He has ordered the Israeli flag to be flown from government buildings, and its colours have been projected over 10 Downing Street.
“As the Prime Minister of this country, I am unequivocal: the people who support Hamas are fully responsible for this appalling attack,” he told the congregation. “They (Hamas) are not militants. They are not freedom fighters. They are terrorists.”
Rishi was met by Britain’s chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, who said: “Prime Minister, you are a great and wonderful friend of our Jewish community and of the State of Israel. No words can adequately encapsulate our feelings of being so grateful to you for being with us right now.”
Posting on X, home secretary Suella Braverman said: “Whenever Israel is attacked, Islamists and other racists use Israeli defensive measures as a pretext to stir up hatred against British Jews. I spoke with CST-UK (Community Security Trust) to ensure the government is doing everything necessary for the protection of our Jewish communities. There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism or glorification of terrorism on the streets of Britain.”
