BBC to roll out anti-Semitism awareness training after string of scandals
Tim Davie, the director-general, has moved to reassure Jewish members of staff concerned about the corporation's culture and leadership amid allegations that it is institutionally anti-Semitic.
The BBC has come under fire over 'catastrophic failures' that include the broadcasting of Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set, in which the rapper chanted 'death to the IDF'.
It was also criticised for airing a documentary about the war in Gaza that had prominently featured the son of a Hamas official, a family connection not disclosed to viewers at the time.
The BBC's leadership is planning now to roll out expanded anti-Semitism training. Modules addressing anti-Jewish sentiment are being devised by HR specialists, insiders said.
Managers may be offered further specialist training to help with decision-making around sensitive subjects.
Sources said the new training material was intended to deal specifically with anti-Semitism and would be separate from courses to educate staff on the intricacies of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The BBC's coverage of the conflict, including its refusal to call Hamas 'terrorists', has eroded confidence among some Jewish members of staff.
On Tuesday, The Telegraph revealed that Deborah Turness, the BBC's head of news, told staff that the Hamas government of Gaza was different from its military wing. The Government makes no such distinction and Hamas is 'proscribed in its entirety'.
She made the comments in a meeting intended to reassure staff after the broadcast of the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which has now been pulled.
A report found that the BBC broke its own guidelines by not disclosing that Abdullah, a boy at the centre of the documentary, was the son of Ayman Alyazouri, the Hamas-run government's deputy minister of agriculture
The Board of Deputies of British Jews raised concerns about Ms Turness's comments, saying the corporation 'appears to be obfuscating and minimising the BBC's failings'.
Changes 'urgently needed'
It said changes in the corporation's coverage of Israel and issues sensitive to the Jewish community were 'urgently needed'.
The row is the latest in a series that has led to accusations that the BBC is institutionally anti-Semitic.
In 2024, a letter signed by Jewish BBC employees to Samir Shah, the chairman, accused the corporation of 'gaslighting' them over concerns about anti-Semitism. It alleged that the broadcaster had 'a serious institutional racism problem'. Danny Cohen, a former BBC One controller, was among the signatories.
Word of the new anti-Semitism training was welcomed by some insiders, who suggested it was a positive step to ensure staff felt comfortable and that the BBC's output and editorial decision-making were improved.
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