The BBC has discontinued its relationship with Gaza-based freelancer Ahmed Alagha after mounting criticism over his deeply antisemitic and inflammatory social media activity, according to The Telegraph.
Alagha, a freelance contributor to BBC Arabic, came under fire for a string of online posts in which he vilified Jews and celebrated violence against Israelis. Among the most egregious, he wrote that “the Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites” and praised the terrorist who murdered eight people near a Jerusalem synagogue, calling him a “martyr” who “stole my heart.”
Despite The Telegraph publishing revelations in April and again in May exposing Alagha’s extremist rhetoric, the BBC reportedly continued using him until recently. The posts cited in the reports date back to before the outbreak of the current war with Hamas, indicating a long-standing pattern of hateful commentary.
In response to the backlash, BBC management has now instructed its Arabic service to stop using Alagha in any capacity. The decision comes amid a broader inquiry into BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, led by chairman Dr. Samir Shah. Shah announced in May that an independent figure would be appointed to assess the outlet’s editorial standards.
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), a media watchdog, has called on the BBC to conduct a thorough evaluation of its Arabic division’s contributor policies to ensure fair and unbiased reporting.
Alagha’s social media posts reveal a disturbing level of vitriol. In one since-deleted message on X, he declared: “The ‘Israelis’ are not human beings… perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism.” He also referred to Israel as “the entity of filth” and a “swamp of wickedness.”
On October 7 — the day Hamas launched a surprise attack, murdering 1,200 people — Alagha published a post refusing to show sympathy for Israeli victims, writing: “Remove your emotions… no honorable blood is being shed for them… The truth is clear. The truth never dies. #AlAqsa_Flood.” In another post, he prayed for the downfall of Israel, saying: “O God, oppress the Israeli occupation and its supporters. O God, glorify Islam and Muslims.”
Even prior to that day, Alagha trafficked in classic antisemitic tropes. One post he amplified alleged Jews “break covenants,” “killed the prophets,” and “loved money more than God,” invoking centuries-old libels.
{Matzav.com}