In a recent interview conducted by BBC anchor Anjana Gadgil with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a controversial statement made by the journalist has sparked outrage and condemnation from various organizations and individuals.
During the interview, which focused on the Israeli counterterrorism operation in Jenin, Gadgil shockingly asserted that “Israeli forces are happy to kill children.” This unsubstantiated claim not only distorts the reality on the ground but also amounts to dangerous incitement and a blood libel, fueling the already surging wave of antisemitism worldwide.
The International Legal Forum (ILF), a global network of lawyers combating antisemitism and terror, expressed utter dismay and shock at Gadgil’s conduct. In an open letter addressed to the BBC director-general, Tim Davie, Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens, acting chair of the BBC Board, and Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, ILF highlighted the false and misleading nature of Gadgil’s statement. They stressed that Israeli forces strictly target terrorist elements, combatants, and military infrastructure in Jenin, a hotbed of terror in recent years.
The ILF emphasized that some Palestinian combatants, including individuals as young as seventeen, have been cynically recruited by terrorist groups, which is a grave violation of international law. They urged the BBC to adhere to its mission of providing impartial news and information and called for an immediate and unequivocal public apology from the broadcaster. ILF also called for appropriate reprimands to be taken against Gadgil for her unacceptable conduct.
BBC’s history of anti-Israel bias, antisemitic blood libel and antisemitism
This incident comes in the wake of a cross-party investigation initiated by the British Parliament last December into bias in the BBC’s coverage of Israel. With concerns raised about systemic and institutional bias against Israel, instances such as Gadgil’s false assertion further underscore the need for urgent corrective action.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), also expressed his dismay in a letter addressed to the BBC Director General. He criticized Gadgil’s assertion as a blatant untruth, emotionally charged, and eerily reminiscent of the historical blood libel that has plagued Jewish communities for centuries. Rabbi Margolin emphasized that the Israeli armed forces take extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties, and such baseless accusations undermine journalistic probity and the BBC’s code of conduct.
Both the ILF and the EJA called on the BBC to retract the false statement and reprimand Gadgil promptly.
SAM HALPERN contributed to this report.