An open letter to the Culture Secretary
“…To the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP
Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport
Dear Secretary of State,
I am addressing this letter to you because of a matter of public concern so great that I believe it must be tackled by you personally. The issue is the BBC, and its coverage of Israel and the Middle East.
As you know, this has been the subject of considerable controversy for many years, with repeated concerns about a perceived institutionalised hostility towards Israel in BBC reporting – so much so that the BBC itself commissioned an inquiry by Malcolm Balen into whether the BBC’s coverage had fallen short of the necessary standards of objectivity and truthfulness. The BBC has not only chosen to keep Balen’s report secret, but has even spent thousands of pounds of licence-fee payers’ money on court actions to ensure that this document, paid for out of the public purse and on a matter of public interest, remains hidden from public view.
Such is the background. You may of course take the view that such concerns are overblown by supporters of Israel whose own objectivity is in question. You may also believe that it is for the BBC to ensure that its own house is in order, and that the government should be wary of being seen to interfere with the management of the BBC’s affairs.
If so, I urge you to watch this remarkable video presentation by CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. CAMERA has been sufficiently alarmed by the BBC’s flagrantly biased reporting of Israel – particularly bearing in mind the BBC’s unrivalled reach and influence throughout the world – to have seen fit on more than one occasion to analyse the distortions, untruths and malice of its coverage.”