The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen: the World’s Worst Reporter on Israel

When it comes to slanted coverage of Israel and the “Palestinians,” no international media outlet — save the deplorable and comical Al Jazeera — can compete with the BBC. Its murderer’s row of reporters and editors full of anti-Israel animus includes, inter alia, John Simpson, Jeremy Bowen, Orla Guerin, Barbara Plett Usher, and Yolande Knell. At the moment it is Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s international editor, who deserves pride of place for his abysmal coverage of the war in Gaza. More on how Bowen reports on Israel and those who would destroy it can be found here: “BBC’s Bowen states the obvious – but fails to explain,” by Hadar Sela, CAMERA UK, January 20, 2025:

On the evening of January 15^th the BBC News website published an article by the corporation’s international editor Jeremy Bowen headlined “Bowen: Long-overdue ceasefire may stop the killing but won’t end the conflict”. Some eight hours later, early on January 16^th, the article – which originally read like a list of talking points – underwent a significant overhaul.

The version currently appearing online begins by promoting inaccurate information perhaps provided by one of the Hamas sources frequently used by the BBC, despite that organisation being proscribed by the UK government. [emphasis added]

“A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Hamas would release three female soldiers on the first day of the ceasefire.”

The first three hostages released – named on January 19^th as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher – are not “soldiers”.

What Jeremy Bowen ought to have reported is this: ”Though Hamas has described the first three hostages to be released as ‘soldiers,’ none of the three — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher — are in fact ‘soldiers,’ having completed their national service many years ago.”

Bowen tells readers that:

“The ceasefire is a considerable diplomatic achievement. It’s long overdue. Versions of the deal have been on the table since it was announced by US President Joe Biden in May last year. Hamas and Israel have blamed each other for the delays.”

He refrains from clarifying that the US administration has repeatedly stated that “the delays” were attributable to Hamas, including on the day that his article originally appeared when the US State Department spokesperson told journalists that:

“…I will say really for the past five, six months or so, it has been Hamas that at first was unwilling to negotiate, and then for a while unable to negotiate. So after this period in August when we thought we were getting really – we thought we were getting really close to a deal in July and then in August, we saw Hamas at – around that point just decide that they weren’t going to negotiate off of their position anymore. They had a position and they weren’t going to budge, they weren’t going to move at all. And we were still at the table, Israel still wanted to be at the table; Hamas wasn’t. And that continued for some period of time, and then you had this period of time where Hamas, because of the death of Sinwar, wasn’t able to really make decisions and – could have conversations, but couldn’t negotiate in any kind of meaningful way.

So when you hear us say that Hamas has been the prime obstacle to accepting the deal, that is very much what we have meant. It’s very much been accurate.”

Bowen was surely aware that the State Department blamed not Israel, but Hamas, for the delays. Yet in his report he writes as if apportionment of blame remains up in the air, concluding that “Hamas and Israel have blamed each other for the delays.” What he should have written is this: “While both Israel and Hamas blame each other, the State Department clearly blames Hamas alone for the delays in reaching a deal.”

Bowen continues:

“In Khan Younis in Gaza, journalists working for the BBC filmed Palestinians dancing and chanting as it became clear that the ceasefire had been agreed.”

Like his colleague David Gritten, Bowen does not tell readers that armed Hamas terrorists took part in some of the celebrations – including outside Nasser hospital in Khan Younis – and he has nothing to tell BBC audiences about the documented chants such as “we are Mohammed Deif’s people”.

Why did Bowen not make clear that gun-toting Hamas members were taking part in the mad mafficking in Khan Younis after the ceasefire with Israel was announced, and that they chanted songs celebrating such arch-terrorists as Mohammed Deif, the founder of the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades? And when he praised Palestinian journalists working in Gaza, he deliberately withheld any mention of their documented ties to terrorists, and how those ties have been reflected in their slanted coverage of the Gaza war. Why has Bowen felt the need to protect the reputations of these Palestinian propagandists masquerading as bona fide journalists? Why did Bowen not, for example, note that one of the journalists recently hired by the BBC, a certain Bayan, tweeted hopefully after the deal was announced that “Next on the list the day Israel ceases to exist.”