Hundreds of media figures urge BBC to remove board member over Gaza 'censorship'

More than 400 stars and media figures have called on the BBC management for the removal of a board member over "opaque decisions made at senior levels" on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, and Juliet Stevenson are among hundreds of actors, writers and media figures who signed a letter on Wednesday to BBC management calling for the removal of Robbie Gibb over claims of conflict of interest regarding the Middle East.

The signatories also include 111 BBC journalists who express "concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine."

Pointing out the documentary, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, which the BBC commissioned first but then shelved as it said it "risked creating a perception of partiality," the letter said that the decision to drop the film "demonstrates, once again, that the BBC is not reporting 'without fear or favour' when it comes to Israel."

The documentary, which was aired on Channel 4 Wednesday night, recounts how health system in the Gaza Strip have been overwhelmed, bombed and raided amid ongoing Israeli assaults.

The letter also accuses the BBC of being "crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government" and claims the "inconsistent manner in which guidance is applied draws into focus the role of Gibb, on the BBC Board and BBC's editorial standards committee."

Gibb, who is ex-Prime Minister Theresa May's former communications chief and a former head of the BBC's Westminster political team, led the consortium that bought the Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and was a director of Jewish Chronicle Media.

"For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences," said the letter.

The Israeli army has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023.