The BBC Interview
The British network BBC is accused of taking a side in the war during an interview. “That’s not true,” the presenter replied. Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett responded, “You have lost your moral compass, you should be ashamed.” Shortly after, the broadcast was cut off. The BBC claimed it was a technical glitch.
The former Prime Minister’s explanatory journey persisted, reaching a boiling point in a BBC interview: Naftali Bennett accused the British public broadcasting corporation of bias in war coverage and a “loss of morality,” and shortly after, his interview was cut off.
During the confrontation, Bennett said on Laura Kuenssberg’s program, “I understand that the BBC chose to take the Gazan side, as all your questions are only about the Gazans.”
Previous Interviews With BBC
More From Todays Interview
Presenter Victoria Derbyshire interrupted him, saying “That’s not true,” before Bennett continued: “From the beginning of the interview, you haven’t asked me one question about the children who were murdered, it seems you don’t care about them. You only care about one side, and that is the BBC’s way. If you think there is balance here between two equal sides, then you have lost your moral compass. And the BBC, I must say, has lost its moral compass. This is what you did last week. Shame on you.”
Derbyshire responded: “Before I spoke with you, Mr. Bennett, I spoke with Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi and asked her about the massacre of Israeli civilians in southern Israel.” Then the broadcast was cut off as Bennett began to reply. “Sorry, I apologize, I don’t know why the broadcast was cut off,” the interviewer said. The “Daily Mail” reported that the BBC later said the reason was a technical glitch.
Earlier, Derbyshire had read a section of the Geneva Convention, stating the need to distinguish between civilians and combatants during war and minimize harm to civilians. “That’s what we’re doing, so we’re allowing Gazan civilians to move south,” Bennett said.
Bennet: Hamas Massacres on 7th of October Prompted Israel to Defend Herself
“That’s not exactly what you’re doing,” the interviewer replied, and Bennett answered by pointing out Hamas’ crimes against humanity at the beginning of the war: “Hamas attacked nearly 30 villages, they massacred children, burned them alive, raped young girls. This is what we’re dealing with. And we will defend ourselves.” Bennett also mentioned the failed missile launch by Islamic Jihad, which fell near a hospital in the Strip and resulted in hundreds of deaths, and the initial BBC claim that it was an Israeli bombing. “BBC said it was Israel, but it was not Israel,” clarified the former Prime Minister.
BBC Mistakes in Coverage of the Hospital Blast
The BBC admitted their mistake regarding the coverage of the hospital hit and later, following severe protests including red paint sprayed on the British broadcasting corporation’s building, they also conceded in a larger battle. They announced they would no longer refer to Hamas by the title “militants,” but “an organization that has been defined as a terrorist organization by the British government and others,” or simply Hamas. President of the State Yitzhak Herzog was among those who sharply criticized the BBC for using the title “militants,” and said in a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that “it’s appalling, there should have been an outcry about this kind of coverage.”
