THE BBC’s news chief was last night accused of an “ignorant and dangerous” portrayal of Hamas.
Deborah Turness said the group’s politicians were separate to its military wing — despite the government insisting it was a single terrorist organisation.
BBCBBC’s How To Survive A Warzone, made by an independent production company, failed to declare the child narrator Abdullah was the son of a senior Hamas official[/caption]
She came under renewed criticism following the scandal engulfing the broadcaster over its Gaza documentary that breached accuracy rules.
The programme How To Survive A Warzone, made by an independent production company, failed to declare the child narrator Abdullah was the son of a senior Hamas official.
Ms Turness, the CEO of BBC News, apologised publicly on Monday after an investigation held the corporation partly responsible for the oversight.
Addressing the row in an all-staff call, the executive said: “It’s really important that we are clear that Abdullah’s father was the deputy agricultural minister, and therefore was a member of the Hamas-run government, which is different to being part of the military wing of Hamas.
“Externally, it’s often simplified that he was in Hamas and it’s an important point of detail we need to continually remind people of the difference.”
But, while previously differentiated, the UK government now says that “Hamas is a complex but single terrorist organisation”.
Shadow Culture Secretary Stuart Andrew said Ms Turness’s comment “undermines any apologies made by the Corporation”.
Former head of BBC Television Danny Cohen said: “It is both ignorant and dangerous and is further evidence of why so many British Jews do not feel they can trust the BBC.”
Labour peer Lord Austin added: “Deborah Turness presided over this mess and still tries to defend the BBC’s colossal mistakes.
“Surely her position is untenable.”
The BBC said: “Deborah Turness was answering a question about how we described the father of the narrator in our Warzone film. She did not imply that Hamas are not a single terrorist organisation.”
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