BBC: Report on our Spanish service about Jewish wealth ‘did not meet standards’

The BBC has edited a report that aired on its Spanish-language service that claimed “Jewish wealth and influence” in the United States motivates its support for Israel because it “did not meet editorial standards”.

Fronting a show entitled ‘Six Keys which explain the US’s unconditional support for Israel’, BBC News Mundo presenter Gonzalo Cañada states that Israel “is seen as an American enclave in the Middle East” and speculates about the perceived influence of American Jews. “Currently, estimates indicate that Israel has around seven million Jews, while the United States has a community of around seven-and-a-half million Jews. Although Jews are a minority in the American population, they are a powerful minority.”

Cañada goes on: “President Biden’s stance and his quick decision to support Israel militarily are not new. in American politics. Therefore, we ask ourselves. Where does this unconditional support for Israel come from?

“Although Jews are a minority in the American population, they are a powerful minority. Half of American Jews have a household income of more than $100,000 annually, while among Americans in general, the percentage with that same income barely reaches 19%.

The BBC told Jewish News that it had edited this video and added an on-screen note to make that clear. A spokesperson said: ‘We edited the video as a previous version did not meet our editorial standards.”

Jewish News has asked the broadcaster if the show’s presenter and producer face disciplinary action and what measures are in place to prevent a repeat.

In the original broadcast, Cañada goes on: “In terms of educational level, 36% of American Jews have completed a postgraduate degree, compared to 14% of the general US population. Furthermore, Jews have also found prosperous avenues in politics. In the current legislature, 34 congressmen, 6.4 percent of parliamentarians, declare themselves to be Jewish, while the portion of the American population that declares itself Jewish does not exceed two percent.”

BBC News Mundo, part of the BBC World Service’s foreign language output, has 3.65 million subscribers. Jewish News has approached the BBC for comment.