The BBC is facing one of the gravest crises in its modern history after an explosive internal memo accused its Arabic news division of systematically downplaying Israeli suffering, amplifying Hamas propaganda, and repeatedly giving airtime to contributors who have publicly called for Jews to be “burned as Hitler did.”

The 19-page memo, written by former BBC editorial adviser Michael Prescott and obtained by The Telegraph, accuses BBC Arabic of “racing unverified allegations against Israel to air” while suppressing stories of Israeli victims — a pattern he said revealed either “reckless negligence or a desire always to believe the worst about Israel.”

Prescott’s report, sent to all BBC Board members and now circulating in Whitehall, describes a culture of entrenched bias inside the taxpayer-funded World Service. It highlights hundreds of appearances by commentators with a documented history of antisemitic speech. One regular guest, Samer Elzaenen, who once wrote online that Jews should be “burned as Hitler did,” appeared on BBC Arabic 244 times in 18 months. Another contributor, Ahmed Alagha, who referred to Jews as “devils,” appeared 522 times over the same period.

“The BBC has helped to push Hamas lies around the world and fuelled antisemitism at home,” said Danny Cohen, former BBC Television director, calling for senior executives to resign. “They should hang their heads in shame.”

The revelations come just days after the corporation was accused of doctoring footage of former U.S. President Donald Trump in a Panorama documentary — deepening questions about editorial integrity at the world’s most influential public broadcaster.

According to the internal correspondence, BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Gaza war frequently diverged from the English-language BBC site. The Arabic service allegedly omitted references to Israeli civilian deaths, inflated Hamas casualty claims, and even suggested Israel had faked an attack that killed nine children in Majdal Shams last July. In contrast, the English site reported evidence pointing to Hezbollah’s role.

An internal BBC review found the Arabic outlet published no articles on Israeli hostages and none critical of Hamas — even as the main BBC website ran 19 such stories. Prescott wrote that “BBC Arabic’s treatment of the war was designed to minimise Israeli suffering and paint Israel as the aggressor.”

The memo also detailed repeated factual errors, including the false claim that the International Court of Justice ruled genocide was taking place in Gaza — a statement the ICJ itself later refuted. It took the BBC months to issue a clarification.

Adding to the controversy, the memo notes that a BBC Two documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was narrated by the son of a Hamas official — a violation later confirmed by Ofcom, which deemed the film “materially misleading.”

Despite mounting evidence of bias, senior executives allegedly dismissed concerns. Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s head of news content, praised BBC Arabic as “an unrivalled source of knowledge” and “almost as trusted as Al Jazeera.” Prescott called that remark “astonishing,” writing: “Is Al Jazeera the new gold standard the BBC wants to aspire to?”

The memo’s release has prompted calls for a government inquiry. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and broadcasting regulator Ofcom are under growing pressure to investigate the corporation’s editorial practices and the Foreign Office’s partial funding of BBC Arabic.

For critics, the scandal marks a breaking point. “Protecting the BBC’s reputation came before the truth,” Cohen said. “It is now undeniable that the corporation’s leadership failed the public — and betrayed the principles of impartial journalism it was built upon.”

A BBC spokesperson said the network “strongly condemns antisemitism” and acknowledged that “certain contributors should not have been used,” but insisted “mistakes have been addressed.”

With Parliament expected to weigh in and public trust already shaken, the once-revered broadcaster now faces a reckoning over its credibility — and over whether its global voice has, in the words of one former insider, “crossed from journalism into propaganda.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)