The BBC has repeatedly used a journalist who called for Jews to be shot and burned “as Hitler did”. Samer Elzaenen has been used as an expert commentator on BBC’s Arabic channel, appearing more than a dozen times since the October 7 tragedy. The journalist was quoted extensively over the past few years, as the broadcaster claimed it was “not aware” of Mr Elzaenen’s social media activity where he called for violence against Jews.
In a Facebook post in July 2022, he said: “When things go awry for us, shoot the Jews, it fixes everything.” In May 2011, he said: “My message to the Zionist Jews: We are going to take our land back, we love death for Allah’s sake the same way you love life. We shall burn you as Hitler did, but this time we won’t have a single one of you left.” The BBC admitted Mr Elzaenen should not have been used as a contributor after the Telegraph questioned his appearance. “We are absolutely clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism on our services,” the BBC said.
However, the channel re-used Mr Elzaenen, despite the concerns raised over his comments.
Suzanna Goussous, a BBC Arabic reporter, quoted the journalist as an eyewitness to describe the hunger in Gaza. The report was titled: “Starvation as a ‘weapon of war’: What does it mean and when was it used in history?”
Ms Goussous quoted him at length in July, saying: “Journalist Samer Elzaenen tells me from Khan Yunis: ‘The situation is unbearable; the scenes of stampedes are harsher than the scenes of bombing. Women, children and the elderly risk their lives in a daily struggle for survival. Every time aid trucks enter, dozens of martyrs and injured are recorded, especially in the areas designated as distribution centres.’”
Mr Elzaenen has endorsed more than 30 separate attacks against Jewish civilians in Israel over the past 10 years, according to The Telegraph.
The journalist has also described the Hamas terrorists who carried out the October 7 atrocities as “resistance fighters”.
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera), who revealed his social media posts, told The Telegraph: “Anyone who uses social media to repeatedly glorify violence against Israel’s Jewish civilians forfeits any claim to be an impartial observer of Israel-related affairs.
“When residents of Gaza embrace such hatred, they cannot be taken seriously as credible eyewitnesses – still less as ‘journalists’ entrusted to mediate reality for international audiences.
“The fact that the BBC knew of Elzaenen’s record yet chose to use him anyway is deeply alarming, and speaks volumes about the corporation’s own judgment and credibility.”
Mr Elzaenen has responded to the questioning over his stance against Jews, and said: “The posts you referred to date back to around 2011 and were quotations rather than personal statements. They were merely social media posts and do not reflect or represent my professional journalism. After reviewing them, I removed those posts entirely.
“Throughout my career, my journalism has always been conducted with full professionalism. Every report I produced for the BBC was broadcast exactly as it was, without distortion, fabrication or alteration.”
A BBC spokesman said: “There is no place for anti-Semitism on our services. We strongly condemn the hateful views expressed by this individual in 2011. Although he is not a BBC journalist, and quoting him does not mean we endorse his views, we should not have used him in this way.”