Britain’s ‘public service broadcaster’ is keeping the public in the dark about UK support for Israel’s assault on Gaza, new research finds. Declassified researched the BBC’s online coverage of 16 aspects of UK policy towards Israel and the pro-Israel lobby. “It is high time for the corporation to be truly held to account and be reformed in the public interest”, leading media professor says.
by Mark Curtis
Part 2 - Omitting the news
When Israel’s chief of staff, General Herzi Halevi, was allowed to attend a British military meeting in London last November, this also went unreported by the BBC in its written outputs.
Halevi’s visit was highly controversial, given he has led Israeli military operations throughout its destruction of Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant are wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
Declassified's research also finds that the BBC has never reported that the British military has been training Israeli armed forces personnel in the UK during the Gaza war.
Halevi’s visit was highly controversial, given he has led Israeli military operations throughout its destruction of Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant are wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
Declassified's research also finds that the BBC has never reported that the British military has been training Israeli armed forces personnel in the UK during the Gaza war.
Last February, the MoD admitted in parliament there were six Israeli military officers posted in the UK. The Labour government has refused to provide further details.
In June last year, the New York Times reported that a British intelligence collection team had been present in Israel “throughout the war”, ostensibly assisting Israeli intelligence in collecting information related to the hostages.
This information has not been reported by the BBC.
Neither has the key background to Britain’s military support to Israel. This derives from a Roadmap agreement signed between the two countries a few months before the Hamas attacks of October 2023.
In June last year, the New York Times reported that a British intelligence collection team had been present in Israel “throughout the war”, ostensibly assisting Israeli intelligence in collecting information related to the hostages.
This information has not been reported by the BBC.
Neither has the key background to Britain’s military support to Israel. This derives from a Roadmap agreement signed between the two countries a few months before the Hamas attacks of October 2023.
The accord committed the two states “to tackle shared threats” as part of a “close strategic partnership, with extensive defence and security cooperation”.
Another key document is a secret military accord signed by the UK and Israel in December 2020, which was mentioned on social media by Israel but which the UK government has long refused to publish.
Declassified could find no evidence that BBC journalists have reported either of these two key documents in the corporation’s online news.
Another key document is a secret military accord signed by the UK and Israel in December 2020, which was mentioned on social media by Israel but which the UK government has long refused to publish.
Declassified could find no evidence that BBC journalists have reported either of these two key documents in the corporation’s online news.
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