BBC’s Spanish platform claims ‘Jewish wealth’ behind American support

BBC News Mundo presenter Gonzalo Cañada tells viewers: 'Although Jews are a minority in America, they are powerful. Half have a household income of more than $100,000 annually.'

By Richard Ferrer
  • Richard Ferrer has been editor of Jewish News since 2009. As one of Britain's leading Jewish voices he writes for The Times, Independent, New Statesman and many other titles. Richard previously worked at the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, edited the Boston Jewish Advocate and created the Channel 4 TV series Jewish Mum Of The Year.
 20 October 2023, 4:05 pm
Gonzalo Cañada

The BBC’s Spanish-language service has aired a programme claiming “Jewish wealth and influence” in the United States motivates its support for Israel.

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%.

“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.

Watch the BBC News Mundo programme here:

read more:
comments