BBC News World Affairs Editor John Simpson lashed out on social media (Image: Getty)
A BBC journalist has sounded off about David Cameron’s demand for his organisation to call Hamas terrorists.
The BBC’s Nick Robinson was slammed yesterday, Monday, May 13, after he fell short of branding Hamas as terrorists on Radio 4’s Today programme when discussing Israel’s military operations in southern Gaza.
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It came after the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron pleaded with the BBC to change its policy so that it used the phrase when talking about Hamas.
Now a fellow BBC journalist John Simpson - world affairs editor of BBC News - has waded into the discussion and ranted on social media platform X about what Lord Cameron is asking.
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READ MORE: BBC's Nick Robinson ignores David Cameron's Hamas demand with two-word reply
Telegraph headline: ‘BBC’s Robinson fails to call Hamas terrorists despite Cameron demand’. I’m sorry — what sort of democratic government ‘demands’ that a major broadcasting organisation toes its political line? And what sort of newspaper seems to think that’s a good thing?
— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) May 13, 2024
He said: “Telegraph headline: ‘BBC’s Robinson fails to call Hamas terrorists despite Cameron demand’. I’m sorry — what sort of democratic government ‘demands’ that a major broadcasting organisation toes its political line?
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“And what sort of newspaper seems to think that’s a good thing?” The tweet has had a big reaction - with more than 6,000 people liking it and over 1,000 people have commented.
The top reaction on the thread came from a photographer, called Inc.Molocole who said: "I don’t think he demanded it. He just made totally justified observations that indicate how morally bankrupt the BBC now is. It’s been failure after failure since October 7th. We should no longer have to pay for it. Time to end the licence fee."
One of those who reacted to the tweet was actor James Dreyfus - famous for TV sitcoms including The Thin Blue Line and Gimme Gimme Gimme. He now features on a podcast for the Spectator.
He replied to Mr Simpson asking: “What major broadcasting organisation wouldn’t call Hamas exactly what they are? That’s the real issue here.”
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But Mr Simpson doubled down saying: “ITN, Sky and plenty of other broadcasters and newspapers prefer not to call Hamas ‘terrorists’. The BBC gets the heat because ministers know this plays to a particular school of thought in the Conservative Party.”
On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme Lord Cameron condemned Hamas for releasing a video showing Nadav Popplewell, a British-Israel hostage. Hamas say Mr Popplewell died in Gaza after being wounded in an Israeli strike.
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Lord Cameron said: “Maybe it’s a moment, actually, for the BBC to ask itself again, shall we describe these people as terrorists? They are terrorists.”
But the BBC won’t be changing its policy. It issued a statement to Express.co.uk yesterday from a BBC spokesperson.
It said: “No one consuming BBC News can be left unaware of the horrific nature of Hamas’s acts. We’ve made our long-standing position on this matter very clear. We use the word ‘terrorist’ when it is attributed to others, such as the UK Government.”
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