Complaint
A viewer complained that an interview with a Professor of International Relations from the LSE favoured the Palestinian over the Israeli version of events in Gaza. The ECU considered whether the output met the requirements for due impartiality set out in the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The Professor spoke predominantly about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and is an outside observer, not a spokesman for Hamas. The ECU did not agree therefore that it was incumbent on the presenter to ask if he condemned the atrocities of 7 October or if he thought Israel was justified to attack Hamas militants, as the complainant suggested. The ECU noted that where Hamas spokespeople have been interviewed by BBC journalists, there has been this kind of robust challenge and BBC News has reported on many occasions the view that Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields in Gaza. This was not such an occasion.
Not Upheld