Complaint
In a discussion about Kristallnacht and its legacy, the presenter asked a guest whether current events in Gaza might also be viewed as collective punishment. A viewer complained that the differences between the two sets of events were such that the question amounted to bias against the Israeli position. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
There was nothing in the phrasing of the question to suggest the presenter was expressing his own opinion, and viewers in general would have understood that he was putting a view held by some supporters of the Palestinians to the guest for a response. There was therefore no departure from the BBC’s standards of impartiality in putting the question.
Not Upheld