Mick Hartley

A JC Leader – Antisemitic harassment claims by Jewish BBC staff demand independent inquiry. There’s the grim story of Lucie Kon, forced out and awarded £400,000 in compensation after she claimed she was subjected to antisemitism by colleagues. Then there’s Bowen:

The latest controversy concerns Jeremy Bowen, its veteran international editor, who appeared to tell an audience in Glasgow that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, potentially breaching the corporation’s impartiality guidelines. Serious questions about alleged bias have also repeatedly been raised about the BBC’s wider Israel coverage, and there are grave concern specific to its Arabic service.

One Jewish BBC staff member said the Bowen and Kon cases reflect a wider failure of accountability: “He’s revered, feared and untouchable, while Jewish staff don’t dare say a word out of place, lest they be rounded upon and forced out like Lucie Kon was.”