Lee Anderson warns BBC is ‘anti-Israel propaganda’ after it admits ‘appalling’ mistake

Conservative Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson has accused the BBC of running “anti-Israel propaganda” after it was condemned by Jewish groups for yet another case of misreporting the war against Hamas.

The Corporation was publicly condemned by the Jewish Board of Deputies for claiming that medical teams and Arab speakers at a hospital in Gaza were being targeted by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

The BBC has since apologised but the Board said it was “appalled” by the mistake.

However, the BBC apology was not enough to impress Mr Anderson who, along with Tory MPs, Israel and Jewish groups, has been raising concerns about its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

Mr Anderson told Express.co.uk: “The BBC are once again far too quick to get anti-Israel propaganda out rather than the facts. It’s appalling journalism at best but some would say it is just propaganda. I tend to agree.”

Mr Anderson’s comments come after the BBC provoked fury for refusing to refer to Hamas as a terrorist group even though it is proscribed in the UK and slaughtered 1,400 Israeli citizens on October 7.

Previously it has apologised for a misleading report which incorrectly suggested that Israel had blown up a hospital in Gaza.

There have also been calls for a review of BBC coverage after it was accused of using a Hamas propaganda actor in one of its news bulletins.

The BBC has pointed out that it and other news organisations have argued that the claims about the so-called actor is a conspiracy theory.

Meanwhile, BBC Director General Tim Davie was met with a furious response when he met Conservative MPs at the 1922 Committee last month.

The controversy was stoked further when the BBC refused to take action against its top-paid presenter Gary Lineker after he posted an attack on Suella Braverman when she was Home Secretary and supported the pro-Palestinian marches.

In the latest controversy over incorrect allegations regarding fighting at the Gaza hospital, the BBC acknowledged it had misquoted Reuters.

The Board of Deputies said: “At best, this shows a staggering lack of care when reporting on a highly volatile situation, which can have a knock-on effect all over the world, including in Britain, where anti-Semitic attacks have risen by more than 500 per cent since October 7th.

“Incidents like this make a mockery of the BBC’s oft-stated dedication to professionalism and impartiality.”

In a subsequent apology delivered live on air, the BBC said: “BBC news, as it covered an initial report, said Israeli forces has entered Gaza’s main hospital.

“We said that medical teams and Arab speakers were being targeted. This was incorrect and misquoted a Reuters report.

“We should have said IDF forces included medical teams and Arabic speakers for this operation.

“So we apologise for this error, which fell below our usual editorial standards. The correct version of events was broadcast minutes later.”