The BBC has caved in to pro-Israel pressure over a Gaza film that was broadcast on Monday.

Yesterday (Wednesday, February 19, 2025), This Site reported that

the BBC has been asked to take the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone down from iPlayer after it was discovered that the film’s 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah [pictured], is the son of a minister in Gaza’s Hamas-run government, raising fears that it may be a vehicle for Hamas propaganda.

Today the BBC has gone ahead and taken it down.

In a report, it said:

“Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone features important stories we think should be told – those of the experiences of children in Gaza.

“There have been continuing questions raised about the programme and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company.

“The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”

Some commentators have taken a different tone. Here‘s Skwawkbox:

Despite its editorial adherence to Israeli government talking points, the programme clearly struck a nerve because it humanised the Palestinian people, particularly children and youth, and exposed just a little of their suffering and the daily bombardment they faced under Israel’s genocide of more than two hundred thousand civilians, mostly women and children.

The broadcast of the programme sparked complaints from the Israeli embassy and a concerted pressure campaign by UK pro-Israel pressure groups. LAAS, the notorious right-wing campaign at the centre of the ‘Labour antisemitism’ scam made a formal complaint, other die-hards accused of gross anti-Palestinian fanaticism joined in and around forty-five pro-Israel media advocates wrote to the BBC to demand its removal. It appears the BBC has again caved.

It does indeed. But yesterday the BBC was saying the programme was made under full BBC editorial control, while today it is saying control belonged to the production company, which implies an attempt at distancing after discovering that the film-makers had failed to disclose the narrator’s Hamas connection.

Nevertheless, the film was broadcast, which implies that it underwent the necessary checks about its content – adhering to editorial standards and Ofcom rules. Right?

It should not be censored because of a detail that does not materially change the message of the movie itself.

---

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:

1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.

2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical

3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com

5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky

6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical

7) Feel free to comment!

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:

The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here: