BBC axes ‘anti-Semitic' broadcaster
A journalist employed by the BBC has been accused of calling for Israel 'to be dismantled' and appearing to suggest that Jewish people 'are not meant to have a land'.
Osman Ahmed has also been accused of mocking the Israeli victims of Iranian missile strikes by posting videos poking fun at people fleeing towards air raid shelters.
The freelance reporter, who has previously worked for ITN and CNN as well as the BBC, has posted numerous items on social media commenting on the Gaza conflict since Oct 7 2023, when more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered by Hamas gunmen.
He has made posts about the Iranian-Israeli war and has reposted several items on social media that have been described as virulently anti-Semitic.
Following complaints to the BBC, the broadcaster said it would no longer employ Mr Hamed.
'Jewish people are actually not meant to have a land'
One post shared on the London-based reporter's Instagram accounts showed a group of orthodox Jews from a fringe sect attempting to set fire to the flag of Israel with the comment: 'Yes, that's correct. Jewish people who truly understand their religion recognise that Israel is a terrorist state and Jewish people are actually not meant to have a land'.
Another video posted on Mr Ahmed's Instagram with a sweating emoji showed airline passengers fleeing towards a shelter during a recent Iranian missile strike, with the caption: 'Chaos at Ben Gurion Airport as Israelis scramble to flee 'the promised land'.'
Mr Ahmed, who recently worked as a producer on the World Service's Newsday and the BBC's breakfast radio show for listeners in Africa and Asia, has previously also worked for BBC Arabic, the corporation's Arabic language service.
BBC Arabic has been repeatedly criticised for bias against Israel, amid claims that its contributors and presenters have displayed open anti-Semitism and have celebrated Oct 7 as 'armed resistance by the Palestinian people'.
Another social media post on Mr Ahmed's account appeared to suggest Jews were to blame for the destruction of Gaza, juxtaposing a photograph of Jewish refugees arriving in Palestine ahead of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 with the devastated ruins of Gaza following months of Israeli bombardment.
Mr Ahmed responded to the announcement that Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, had decided to ban Palestine Action by sharing a comment stating, 'to learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise'.
'Hateful tweets'
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) said: 'In Ahmed's case, his hateful X tweets and Instagram stories – some posted right next to ones where he mentioned his BBC affiliation – were publicly available online in English for months.
'The national broadcaster's failure to act sooner raises serious questions about whether this was due to complicity or sheer incompetence.'
The Israeli embassy in the UK had previously complained about what it described as Mr Ahmed's anti-Semitic social media posts when he was a contributor to BBC Arabic.
Orly Goldschmidt, spokeswoman for the embassy, said: 'The BBC previously apologised to us for this journalist's actions while he was working with BBC Arabic. Osman [Ahmed] has continued to promote anti-Semitism as a representative of the BBC since.'
A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: 'We are well aware of the problems at the BBC. While the corporation has made some progress in a number of areas, the pace of change has been, at times, painfully slow. The issue of anti-Semitism needs to be a top priority.'
The BBC announced in May that it was launching an independent review of its Middle East coverage, its Arabic service and its broader handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In March, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, called for 'wholesale reform' of BBC Arabic, after a report by Camera accused it of 'appalling anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias '.
A BBC spokesman said: 'Osman Ahmed is a freelancer who is no longer engaged by the BBC. We will not be working with him again. We are clear there is no place for antisemitism on our services.'
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Twenty of them are thought to be alive — nine were from the Nova Festival. We want to emphasise that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving complete Israeli victory. There will be no victory until the last hostage returns Israel's Hostages And Missing Families Forum Slowly, as the Israeli army takes over increasing tranches of the territory, it is finding bodies of dead hostages. Advertisement Eight have been recovered so far this month. On June 21, a military operation retrieved the remains of three people who had been taken captive — Yonatan Samerano, 21, Ofra Keidar, 71, and Sgt Shai Levinson, 19. Israel's Hostages And Missing Families Forum — which represents some of the hostages' relatives — said: 'Alongside the grief and pain, their return provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty and doubt. 'We want to emphasise that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving complete Israeli victory. There will be no victory until the last hostage returns.' Advertisement One of those caged in the tunnels is Alon Ohel, who is in desperate need of medical attention as shrapnel in his eye is slowly blinding him. Throughout his ordeal, it is music that has kept him going, his mother Idit tells The Sun. Alon started playing the piano when he was nine, with Elton John a particular hero and inspiration. The British pop star's music is likely being sung by the gentle 24-year-old in the tunnel dungeons of Gaza as he tries to keep himself sane. Advertisement Sir Elton has previously declared himself a fan of Kneecap — admitting he 'loves everything about them'. Alon was held with three other hostages, who were released in previous ceasefire deals. They have told his mother about the nightmare he is enduring. 'Their legs were chained for many months, they were starved and sometimes they were badly beaten,' says Idit. Advertisement 19 Hamas terrorists used motorised paragliders during the attack 19 Wrecked and burnt out vehicles at the festival site Credit: EPA 'But at least they had each other. The three men Alon was held with have all been released. 'But we believe he is now on his own and, of course, we are so worried about it. Advertisement 'The only thing that keeps me going is the hope that he will come out alive.' MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! Donald Trump There has been a new ceasefire deal on the table for many weeks, which could secure Alon's freedom, but Hamas has refused to sign it. Even though it would put an end to the horrendous suffering of the Palestinian people, it would mean them losing their hold on Gaza. Just want them home Yesterday morning, US President Donald Trump, who has said he is hopeful a peace deal could be agreed in the next week, highlighted the plight of the hostages on Truth Social, writing in bold capital letters: 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! DJT.' Advertisement The question for the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his cabinet remains: Save the hostages and allow Hamas to keep hold of Gaza, or try to completely defeat Hamas and risk the loss of the hostages? This is why the families of those still being held are so determined they never be forgotten. They just want them home. The hostages are rarely talked about any more in television coverage of the conflict. Advertisement In countries in the West, posters of them are torn down. When Israeli forces took command of a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, she claimed she had been 'kidnapped'. It was alleged she and other activists declined to watch footage of the October 7 horrors. But the hostages are an ever-present reminder of Hamas's cruelty and the fact that they are — whatever the BBC may or may not have called them — a terrorist group. Advertisement 19 At Glastonbury this week, punk performers Bob Vylan chanted, 'Death to the IDF' Credit: Getty 19 Northern Irish rappers Kneecap led a chorus of 'F*** Keir Starmer' Credit: PA Windsor MP Jack Rankin has raised the case of Nova hostage Avinatan Or, 31, whose mother Ditza is British, in Parliament. He was twinned with Avinatan's family as part of the Hostages And Missing Families Forum UK, and met with them last December. Advertisement Avinatan's kidnap, alongside girlfriend Noa Argamani, became front page news as they were pulled away from each other by terrorists who filmed it and put it on social media. The politician says he is disgusted that there is apparent support for Hamas at Glastonbury and a failure to remember those murdered at Nova. 'The juxtaposition is quite sick, to be honest, and I put a lot of it down to a huge degree of naivety on the part of Western society,' says Jack, who hosted Ditza at the House of Commons in March. 'The reality is that if Hamas had the ability to, it would do the same to Western people at Glastonbury as they did at Nova.' Advertisement Earlier this year, Hamas released a harrowing propaganda video featuring Nova hostage Elkana Bohbot. In it, he addressed his brother, Uriel, asking him to go to the White House and ask US President Donald Trump to urgently get him out. Evyatar David, 23, is another musician who was kidnapped at Nova and is believed to still be alive. We know from the hostages that have returned that they are in a tiny space — about one-and-a-half metres wide — underground, sleeping next to a hole in the ground that they use for the toilet Evyatar's brother Ilay He was filmed alongside best friend and fellow hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal in one of Hamas's sickest stunts. Advertisement The pair were videoed locked in a car surrounded by terrorists at a hostage release 'ceremony', pleading: 'Let us go.' The footage was released to cause added torment to their desperate families. In Gaza, captives have mainly been held underground, according to those who have now been freed. 'They sing together' 'We know from the hostages that have returned that they are in a tiny underground space — about one-and-a-half metres wide — sleeping next to a hole in the ground that they use for the toilet,' says Evyatar's brother Ilay. Advertisement 'They have just enough food and water to keep them alive. 'I know that they sing together and talk about the festivals they have gone to and the ones they want to visit. 'Music is a big part of their survival in the tunnels because they have no stimulus at all.' Ilay says that wherever people stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict, they should be speaking up against hostage-taking. Advertisement 'This is a humanitarian issue,' he insists. 'Anyone who says they are for human rights should be speaking about the hostages, too. 'It is sad to think that there are festivals going on which are filled with Palestine flags, but no one mentions what happened at Nova. 'They should talk about how people who were at a festival because they love music are being tortured in tunnels more than 600 days later.' Advertisement Hell of captivity THEY danced in the desert until dawn at Israel's Nova music festival. But then terror struck on October 7, 2023, and these innocent revellers never made it home. Most remain missing after being captured by Hamas. Advertisement Three were reportedly murdered. 19 Alon Ohel Credit: IDF 19 Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David Credit: Supplied 19 Avinatan Or Credit: Supplied Advertisement 19 Eitan Abraham Mor Credit: Supplied 19 Guy Illouz (murdered) Credit: Supplied 19 Bar Abraham Kupershtein Credit: Supplied 19 Inbar Hayman (murdered) Credit: Supplied Advertisement 19 Maxim Herkin Credit: Supplied 19 Uriel Baruch (murdered) Credit: Supplied 19 Segev Kalfon Credit: Supplied 19 Rom Braslavski Credit: Supplied Advertisement 19 Idan Shtivi (murdered)
