British celebrities condemn BBC removal of Gaza documentary
A number of prominent British actors, TV personalities, and journalists have criticized the BBC’s decision to remove a documentary about children’s lives in Gaza, stating that the move stems from “racist assumptions and the weaponization of identity.”
BBC presenter Gary Lineker, along with actors including Ruth Negga, Riz Ahmed, Juliet Stevenson, and Miriam Margolyes, are among those who have signed a petition demanding that Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone be reinstated on BBC iPlayer.
The documentary, which initially aired on February 17, revolves around the life of a 14-year-old Palestinian teenager named Abdullah al-Yazouri.
The petition states that the attacks on Yazouri are not only unethical and dangerous but also disregard “core safeguarding principles.”
The BBC removed the documentary on the grounds that Yazouri’s father, Dr. Ayman al-Yazouri, is the deputy minister of agriculture in Gaza.
“This broad-brush rhetoric assumes that Palestinians holding administrative roles are inherently complicit in violence; a racist trope that denies individuals their humanity and right to share their lived experiences,” the petition said.
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, has said that the film was removed following pressure from "anti-Palestinian activists who have largely shown no sympathy for people in Gaza suffering from massive bombardment, starvation, and disease.”
Last week, a group of 45 Jewish journalists and media professionals, including former BBC governor Ruth Deech, increased pressure on the broadcaster by sending a letter demanding the film be removed from iPlayer, calling the minister a “terrorist leader.”
So far, 735 people have signed the letter urging the BBC to halt what they describe as “censorship on Palestine,” warning that the broadcaster’s actions undermine journalistic ethics by prioritizing political pressure over public interest.
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