Rishi Sunak heaps pressure on the BBC over its refusal to call Hamas killers ‘terrorists’
THE PM heaped pressure on the BBC yesterday over its refusal to call Hamas killers “terrorists”.
A No10 source said: “As the PM has said repeatedly, Hamas are terrorists.
“It is incumbent on our national broadcaster to recognise this fact.”
It is understood Met Police terror officers also raised the issue yesterday.
Rishi Sunak, the King, and Prince and Princess of Wales are among many to call Hamas terrorists.
Meanwhile, five leading barristers have written to watchdog Ofcom attacking the corporation.
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One of the signatories, former justice minister Lord Wolfson, said: “Terrorism is the right word.”
The Ofcom letter states: “The BBC has fallen well below the standards expressed in its editorial values in its reporting.”
Journalists John Simpson and Nick Robinson defended the BBC. Mr Simpson said: “Calling someone a terrorist means you’re taking sides.”
Nick Robinson, host on BBC Radio 4’s Today, said: “It’s the long-standing practice of BBC, ITV and Sky to report others using that language rather than using it ourselves.”
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It comes as this morning Grant Shapps blasted the BBC for being "not particularly interested" in Hamas monsters and labelling their depraved acts of violence terrorism.
The Defence Secretary hit out at the national broadcaster for refusing to "call a spade a spade".
Mr Shapps told Radio 4: "It is good that they provided information in advance... Hamas certainly didn't do that before they went and slaughtered people.
"And I would have thought a good start is to warn people in advance that the area that they are in is likely to be part of an attack where the Israelis are trying to get hold of the Hamas terrorists, who you don't seem to be particularly interested in.
"The BBC seems to refuse to call terrorists even though the British Parliament has legislated that they are terrorists."
A BBC spokesman said: “We take our use of language very seriously.
“The BBC’s job is to explain precisely what is happening so our audiences can make their own judgment.”
