Complaint
During this episode a brief reference was made to Hamas. A listener complained the lack of any reference to Israel’s role in the conflict in Gaza showed bias against the Palestinians. The ECU considered whether there had been a breach of the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
Whilst the conflict in Gaza was not explicitly referred to, there was no requirement for a topical comedy programme to achieve the impartiality of a news programme nor to seek to “balance” jokes in this way. The ECU considered a passing reference to Hamas would not demand the inclusion of material about the actions of the IDF.
Not Upheld