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Alagha wrote that Israelis “belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.”
By Shula Rosen
The BBC has banned Gaza reporter Ahmed Alagha for calling Jews “devils” and saying they are “not human.”
The Telegraph revealed Alagha’s activity on social media, which led to his dismissal from his role as a contributor to BBC Arabic’s coverage of the war in Gaza.
On social media, after reporting on Israeli strikes in Gaza, Alagha wrote that Israel “is the embodiment of filth, the unrivaled swamp of wickedness,” adding: “As for the Jews, they are the devils of hypocrites.”
The next day, the Gaza correspondent reportedly commented, “The ‘Israelis’ are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.”
Alagha began working as a contributor to the BBC in January last year, and since the social media posts came to light in May, the BBC has indicated that its Arabic channel must keep him off the air.
Alagha’s recent comments are among a series of incidents that have caused many to conclude that the BBC is providing significantly biased coverage of events in the Middle East.
BBC chair Dr Samir Shah requested an independent review of the channel’s Middle East coverage, given the numerous criticisms.
Media campaign group Camera UK praised the BBC for removing Alagha after stating that it was highly critical of “the process by which the BBC obtains and broadcasts Gaza Strip information.”
“BBC Arabic’s editors specifically seem to be trapped inside an echo chamber,” a spokesperson for Camera UK said.
“This precedent would be unimaginable were Alagha to target any other minority group in the UK, let alone a group involved in the same conflict he purports to cover.”
A BBC spokesperson issued a disclaimer stating that the BBC does not employ Alagha and that his social media posts do not reflect the media outlet’s views.
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