The BBC’s refusal to call Hamas a ‘terrorist group’ – despite it being classified as such by the British government – yesterday led to a demonstration organized by the National Jewish Assembly at the doors of the public television station.
According to The Times of India, hundreds of people attended the protest. The posters they held could have included words like “If the King can call Hamas terrorists, so can you” (see photo),
The BBC has defended its position in recent days, invoking a historic principle of neutrality in daily news and saying it would be “abandoning the duty to be objective” if it did so – in the words of international editor John Simpson.
However, this decision has been subject to a barrage of criticism from various sectors, including the government. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on Friday called on the public broadcaster to “respect the law and call out Hamas terrorists.”
In the recent past, the BBC has explicitly linked the actions of groups such as Al Qaeda and Daesh to ‘acts of terrorism’.
Source: DN
