Prefer Jewish News on Google
Corbyn article claimed Israeli ‘influence’ in media behind BBC Gaza appeal snub
Labour leader penned Morning Star article in 2009 blasting the broadcaster's 'absolutely astonishing' decision not to show the DEC aid appeal
An investigative journalist has unearthed an article penned by Jeremy Corbyn more than ten years ago in which he said Israeli “influence” in the British media explained a BBC decision not to broadcast a Gaza appeal.
In the Morning Star article, published on 28 January 2009 and shared on Thursday by Iggy Ostanin, the then backbencher blasted the BBC’s “absolutely astonishing” decision not to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Gaza aid appeal because it was worried about impartiality.
“What this embarrassing saga demonstrates is the contempt the BBC directors appear to have for the views of the licence fee payers and the unbelievably high levels of influence that Israel’s government appears to have in the upper echelons of parts of the media,” Corbyn wrote.
A working example from the newly-adopted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism lists the accusation that Jews control the media, but a spokesperson for the Labour Party rejected the idea that Corbyn was peddling an age-old trope.
“The suggestion that Jeremy was talking about Jewish people, when he commented on the greater level of media influence the Israeli government has than the Palestinian leadership, is entirely false, and itself relies on a damaging antisemitic trope,” the spokesperson said.
More than 100 MPs condemned the BBC’s 2009 decision not to broadcast the DEC appeal and Corbyn’s late Labour colleague Tony Benn MP told a BBC interviewer that “the reason the BBC has done it is very simple: the Israeli government objected”.
John Kampfner, a former New Statesman editor and head of Index on Censorship, said “Israel has amassed a formidable PR operation… much better funded and more professional than anything the Palestinians have mustered,” adding: “I wonder whether – when confronted by governments, media and other organisations that wield real power over it – the BBC remains too cowed.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
