Nandy seeks ‘assurances’ Hamas did not receive money for BBC Gaza documentary

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she has sought “cast-iron assurances” that Hamas did not receive any money for a BBC documentary about Gaza which featured the son of a former official of the militant group.

Shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew raised concerns that £400,000 of public funds had “indirectly supported a terrorist organisation”, as he called for a public inquiry.

Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, Ms Nandy said she will keep MPs informed about the findings of an internal BBC investigation.

The corporation removed the documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, from iPlayer after it emerged that the child narrator is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.

After the discovery about Abdullah Al-Yazouri, who speaks about life in the territory amid the war between Israel and Hamas, the BBC added a disclaimer to the programme and later removed it from its online catch-up service.

Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, Ms Nandy said: “The BBC has clear editorial guidelines to report Hamas as a proscribed terror organisation by the UK Government. That was their policy under the last government, and it remains their policy now.

“I also held discussions with the BBC director general earlier this week, at my request, in order to seek urgent answers about the checks and due diligence that should have been carried out ahead of the screening of a recent documentary into Gaza, about the commissioning, the payments, and the use of licence fee payers’ money.

“I also sought cast-iron assurances that no money paid has fallen into the hands of Hamas and that the utmost care was taken to ensure that was the case.

“I expect to be kept informed about the findings of the internal BBC investigation, and I will be happy to update (Mr Andrew) and colleagues across the House on its progress.”

Mr Andrew said the Government’s response to the allegations against the BBC was “concerning”.

He added: “As the UK’s public broadcaster, the BBC has a duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information, which is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive events. But in this case, it is clear the BBC has fallen far short of these standards.

“Shortly after airing, reports emerged that the documentary was reportedly narrated by the son of the senior Hamas figure. Initially, the BBC defended the programme as an invaluable testament to the conflict and kept it available on iPlayer.

“Only after significant public backlash did the BBC decide to withdraw it.

“Then we learned that on at least five occasions, the words Yahud or Yahudy – Arabic for Jew or Jews – were changed to Israel or Israeli forces or were removed from the documentary.

“And then we learned that up to £400,000 in public funds may have indirectly supported a terrorist organisation.”

On the Secretary of State’s meeting with the BBC, Mr Andrew asked: “Did she support our calls for a full independent inquiry into this documentary via the BBC?

“And what commitment did she get from the BBC this will never happen again, and if criminal investigation has to take place, what will happen?”

Ms Nandy replied: “As he knows I have a longstanding history of taking antisemitism incredibly seriously, including when it poisoned my own party, and I will always speak out, without fear or favour, when I see it rear its ugly head.

“I am deeply disappointed, though, at his attempt to try to pretend that the Government has been anything other than robust on this.”

In an open letter, hundreds of TV and film professionals and journalists, including broadcaster Gary Lineker and actor Miriam Margolyes, criticised the decision to remove the documentary as “politically motivated censorship”.

Labour MP Chi Onwurah asked Ms Nandy to confirm the BBC had “subcontracted” the programme, adding: “It is essential that their stories be told, and it is unacceptable that the BBC should have chosen to tell them through those connected to Hamas, but we understand that the BBC is not allowed into Gaza.”

The Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West MP also asked whether the BBC had a publicly available “translation guide”.

Ms Nandy said the documentary “was commissioned by an external organisation”, but that “in no way absolves the BBC from responsibility of doing due diligence on a programme that they air”.

A publicly available translation guide “might help to assuage some of the concerns”, she added.

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the BBC “has got it badly wrong”, adding: “Once again, we’re told that lessons will be learned. Does the Secretary of State think the BBC is incompetent, negligent or just riddled with antisemitism?”

Ms Nandy replied: “I think the BBC has serious questions to answer.”

Shockat Adam, Independent MP for Leicester South, said: “Does she agree that children, who were the narrator of this show specifically, cannot be held accountable for the actions of their parents, or is this just an extension of (Benjamin) Netanyahu’s policy of collective punishment of the Gazan people?”

Ms Nandy replied: “Of course I agree with him that children can’t be held responsible for relationships that they have.

“But can I also be very clear with him that if this child in question is related to a senior official in Hamas, then that is important context for viewers to understand, and not to inform the public about that falls way short of the standards we would expect of our national broadcasters.”