BBC rebuked by seven ex-culture secretaries for refusal to call Hamas ‘terrorists’

The BBC’s refusal to brand Hamas “terrorists” risks blurring its impartiality, seven former culture secretaries have told the corporation’s director-general.

In a letter to Tim Davie, the seven – led by Sajid Javid – urged the BBC to “urgently reassess” its approach to describing Hamas as “militants” and “fighters”, rather than terrorists, in the wake of the group’s attack on Israel.

Public figures, including the Chief Rabbi, have suggested that the BBC’s decision could legitimise Hamas’s attack on Saturday, which killed at least 1,200 people.

The seven Conservative culture secretaries cite the BBC’s own guidelines, which state that impartiality does not require “absolute neutrality” on every issue or “detachment from fundamental democratic principles”.

They warned: “The BBC’s commitment is to impartiality, not indifference. This distinction is now in danger of being blurred.

“Worryingly, the imprecise language of ‘fighters’ and ‘militants’ also serves to conflate terrorists with the Palestinian people, who suffer more than anyone from Hamas’s actions.

“We therefore add our voices to the mounting concerns about the BBC’s language around this terror group. It is time to urgently reassess your approach.”

It said the BBC’s persistence in refusing to describe the perpetrators of the “barbaric terror” wrought against Israeli citizens was not only “inaccurate” but “understandably upsetting” to many Israelis, British Jews and the public.

They continued: “As our Chief Rabbi has said: ‘This is not ‘resistance’ or ‘struggle’. It is terrorism. To purposefully avoid that word is to wilfully mislead.”

The seven warned that the BBC’s adherence to impartiality in these circumstances was counterproductive.

The six other former culture secretaries are Karen Bradley, Nadine Dorries, Matt Hancock, Maria Miller, Baroness Morgan, and Sir Jeremy Wright.

Lucy Frazer, the current Culture Secretary, has also asked if the broadcaster could reconsider the editorial guidelines that restrain journalists from branding Hamas’s actions as “terrorism”.

On Thursday, Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, said “everyone” should be calling Hamas terrorists.

Asked in a Times Radio interview about the row, Mr Barclay said: “The Government is very clear that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, and I think people should be clear in the language in which they use.”

Pressed on whether this included the BBC, he answered: “I think it includes everyone. Hamas are a terrorist organisation. I don’t think it’s particularly in doubt.”

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn was criticised after he again failed to condemn Hamas for the atrocities but accused Israel of planning to “erase” Palestinian lives.

The former Labour leader, who now sits as an independent MP, called on politicians to defend international law “universally and equally”.

He tweeted:

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex condemned “all acts of terrorism” in a new statement made following the attacks on Israel, but did not single out Hamas.

On the couple’s Archewell website, a post under the title With Heavy Hearts stated: “At The Archewell Foundation, with Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, we stand against all acts of terrorism and brutality.”

It continued: “We are supporting our partners and organisations on the front lines in Israel to provide the urgent aid needed, and to help all innocent victims of this unconscionable level of human suffering.”

Sources close to the Duke and Duchess insisted their statement was clearly condemning Hamas’s attacks on Israel and voicing support for all the innocent lives impacted by it.

Their statement came a day after the King condemned the “barbaric acts of terrorism” – language echoed by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who said they were “profoundly distressed” by the “horrors inflicted by Hamas’s terrorist attack”.

On Thursday, the King received the Chief Rabbi for a private meeting at Buckingham Palace to express his concern for the Jewish community following the attacks.

A royal source said the conversation with Sir Ephraim Mirvis covered “the horrors of recent events in Israel”, as well as ways to support interfaith harmony in Britain during such a distressing time.