Ex-BBC leader claims company’s Arabic channel is the ‘media wing of Hamas’ as Tim Davie faces calls to clamp down on output

The BBC‘s director-general is beneath expanding power to close down a channel described as ‘the media wing of Hamas‘.

Tim Davie has been written to by way of Danny Cohen, the previous director of BBC Television, within the wake of a string of controversies about members to BBC Arabic.

Last week it was once printed that ‘journalist’ Samer Elzaenen, who has seemed at the channel numerous instances, referred to as for Jews to be ‘burned as Hitler did’.

Mr Cohen’s transfer comes as BBC insiders stated that ‘motion would quickly be taken’ to clamp down at the output of BBC Arabic, which is funded throughout the licence commission and a Foreign Office grant.

In the letter, which has been observed by way of The Mail on Sunday, Mr Cohen stated that BBC Arabic ‘was once chargeable for a large number of editorial failings in breach of BBC tips’ and, within the 5 months which adopted the October 7 assaults, ‘was once pressured to make a correction at a mean of 1 each 48 hours’.

Mr Cohen wrote: ‘All of those corrections associated with breaches that favoured an anti-Israel narrative… The BBC has additionally refused to sack BBC Arabic team of workers who had proven make stronger for the October 7 terror massacres’.

Referring to Mr Elzaenen, Mr Cohen described as ‘deeply nerve-racking’ the truth that he ‘was once offered to audiences as a journalist’, announcing: ‘Any unmarried probably the most many posts wherein Mr Elzaenen presentations vile racism in opposition to Jews must were sufficient to preclude his being time and again platformed by way of the BBC, but he has seemed as a reporter on BBC Arabic no less than 14 instances. 

‘To make issues even worse, the BBC’s reaction to this data was once to deceive licence-fee payers.

Tim Davie (pictured) has been written to by way of Danny Cohen, the previous director of BBC Television, within the wake of a string of controversies about members to BBC Arabic

Last week it was once printed that ‘journalist’ Samer Elzaenen (pictured), who has seemed at the channel numerous instances, referred to as for Jews to be ‘burned as Hitler did’

A BBC supply stated: ‘Tim [Davie] is aware of that BBC Arabic is an issue and a few type of motion will quickly be taken’

‘The BBC’s remark claimed that Mr Elzaenen was once an “eyewitness”. Yet an research of his appearances displays that he was once time and again presented to audiences as a journalist or reporter.’

In the letter, which was once additionally despatched to contributors of the BBC Board, Mr Cohen stated: ‘Given the platform it has time and again equipped to supporters of terrorism some would possibly conclude that [BBC Arabic] has now successfully grow to be the media wing of Hamas.’

A BBC supply stated: ‘Tim [Davie] is aware of that BBC Arabic is an issue and a few type of motion will quickly be taken’.

Yesterday BBC Chairman Samir Shah stated that there could be an investigation into the behaviour of BBC Arabic reporters.