BBC Boss Isn’t “Ruling Out” Reinstating Gaza Doc, Admits “Unanswered Questions Weren’t Followed Up”

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Tim Davie, head of the BBC, acknowledged that there were some inquiries left unresolved and actions not pursued, concerning their controversial Gaza documentary.

David asserted to the U.K.’s Culture, Media, and Sport Committee that his journalists don’t require any encouragement for an impartial probe, during a hearing at a parliamentary inquiry held in London.

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David told the U.K.’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee that no one should feel pressured to initiate an independent investigation concerning his journalists, while testifying at a parliamentary inquiry in London.

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At a parliamentary hearing in London, David stated before the U.K.’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee that there’s no need for anyone to prompt an unbiased investigation regarding his journalists.

Last week, the corporation apologized and removed Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, about the lives of three children caught in the Israel-Gaza war, from its streaming service BBC iPlayer. It was discovered that one of the 13-year-old subjects, Abdullah Al-Yazouri, is the son of Hamas’ deputy minister of agriculture, leading to widespread accusations against the BBC, including being “manipulated by terrorists.”

Davie, together with board chair Samir Shah, expressed on Tuesday that trust is paramount. They acknowledged a sense of frustration and disappointment, clarifying it’s not about the BBC or themselves, but they deeply regret being in a situation where there are imperfections in the production process, causing inconvenience to the audience.

Following Davie’s advocacy for his journalists dealing with immense stress, he continued: “Ultimately, as chief editor, my responsibility is to feel secure, not just editorially but also in the production of that film – and I no longer have confidence in it. Consequently, I made the choice to remove it from iPlayer… There were queries left unaddressed by the BBC,” he stated, “those issues should have been investigated further.

Davie didn’t reject the possibility,” he mentioned when questioned about whether the document could potentially be re-uploaded after necessary modifications. A large number of media personalities, including actors like Riz Ahmed, Khalid Abdalla, Miriam Margolyes, and director Mike Leigh, are part of the more than 1000 signatories on an open letter from Artists for Palestine U.K., urging for its restoration on the platform.

He stated without hesitation that there’s no need for further inquiry regarding the financial aspects of the film production and distribution, or the independent review of the movie. From what I gather, the BBC made a single payment – a license fee to the company responsible for producing the film. An initial examination revealed a minor payment to Abdullah’s sister, who provided the narration and recorded it at a studio. Hoyo Films have explicitly stated that no money has been given to Hamas, but they must provide evidence of their work.

Shah expressed support for his colleague and announced an impartial examination of the movie. While he was open about his personal “surprise” upon discovering “significant issues on all sides” when the preliminary report arrived, he stated, “The BBC’s standards are excellent… I’m concerned that it wasn’t primarily the procedures that went wrong, but rather individuals who weren’t fulfilling their responsibilities.

When questioned regarding the petition by Artists for Palestine U.K., Shah clarified: “I’d like to emphasize that suggesting we view the situation in Gaza as children might see it is a compelling concept for a documentary. I want to be absolutely clear, this is not my personal perspective. Instead, our discussion centers around the implementation of this concept and the trust established within the BBC and the independent production company.

A representative from the BBC admitted to THR on Sunday that during the production of the documentary, an independent production company was repeatedly asked in writing by the BBC about any possible links the subject and his family might have with Hamas. However, they confessed that they were aware that the boy’s father was a deputy agriculture minister in the Hamas Government, but failed to disclose this information to the BBC. As a result, the BBC did not discover this fact before airing the documentary.

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2025-03-04 14:54