The BBC has issued a correction and apology for a documentary by its Arabic service that claimed Jews spit on Christians as part of a “holiday ritual.” The correction followed complaints about a caption in an October 2023 video, which stated that observant Jews mark the Sukkot holiday by spitting on Christians.
The original video was published alongside an article titled “Sukkot: Spitting and Assault on Christians and Harassment of Muslims on the Jewish Holiday,” according to The Telegraph.
The clip showed foreign Christian pilgrims carrying a wooden cross through Jerusalem’s Old City during the Sukkot festival. At least seven ultra-Orthodox Jews were seen spitting on the ground as the procession passed while holding the ritual palm fronds associated with the holiday.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
The caption in the BBC Arabic video initially stated this act was a celebratory practice. Following a complaint by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, or CAMERA, it was updated to read, “Some observant Jews consider spitting on Christians a holiday ritual.”
CAMERA filed the complaint soon after the video was released, but a formal response from the BBC took 19 months.
In a written reply, the broadcaster said, “We apologise for the errors and thank you for your patience in waiting for this reply/confirmation of corrections that were made in October 2023.”
Another BBC Arabic article, published on Sept. 11, 2023, the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, also drew criticism.
Titled “The story of suicide bombers throughout history: from the fanatical Jews, through Assassins, to the Jihadists,” the article described the Sicarii, a Jewish militant group from the first century, as early suicide attackers and linked them to modern jihadi tactics.
That piece described the group’s actions during the Jewish revolt in 70 A.D. and their subsequent retreat to Masada. CAMERA objected, stating that while the Sicarii committed mass suicide, they did not engage in suicide attacks and were inaccurately grouped with later jihadi movements.
“Since the Sicarii’s attacks weren’t suicidal and their mass suicide was not an attack, they do not fit a narrative about suicide attacks at all. Yet, they are the only ones labelled ‘fanatics’ and ‘extremists’ in the entire article,” CAMERA said in its letter to the BBC.
After further complaints, the BBC’s executive complaints unit ruled that the article contained a “material inaccuracy.”
In a decision released on April 10, the unit stated, “Although the Sicarii may have preferred suicide to capture, there was no evidence of their using suicide as a means of an attack.”
The article’s headline was later revised to “The Story of Suicide Bombers Throughout History: From Assassins to Jihadists.”
The broadcaster has faced growing criticism over its Arabic service.
Several BBC contributors have publicly expressed anti-Jewish views and support for Hamas, both before and after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
In February, the BBC pulled a documentary that critics say served as a propaganda piece for Hamas, highlighting the son of a Hamas leader. BBC said the film’s producer did not divulge the Hamas connection.
In May 2024, BBC chairman Dr. Samir Shah told Times Radio that the organization would appoint an independent figure to investigate its Middle East coverage, including BBC Arabic.
CAMERA stated that six other complaints related to BBC Arabic content remained unresolved as of June 9.
“Having demonstrated such ignorance in covering Jewish affairs, it seems that part of the problem lies not only with the Arabic service’s inability to respond to complaints on time, but also in the lack of training its staff undergo upon hiring,” a spokesperson for CAMERA told The Telegraph.
The spitting incident in Jerusalem drew swift condemnation from the Israeli government and religious leaders at the time.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a “zero-tolerance policy” and said urgent steps would be taken against those involved, as noted in an op-ed by The Christian Post at the time. The perpetrators were arrested shortly after the event.
Chief Rabbi David Lau called the act a “desecration” and rejected any connection between such behavior and Jewish religious law. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the conduct “does not represent the values of Judaism,” and Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli cited scripture in affirming Jerusalem’s commitment to religious pluralism.
