LONDON: BBC Middle East online editor Raffi Berg is reportedly considering legal action against British journalist Owen Jones, following accusations in an investigative article that claimed Berg exhibited bias in favor of Israel. The allegations have allegedly triggered a wave of online abuse and threats directed at the editor.
The 9,000-word article, titled “The BBC’s Civil War Over Gaza,” was published earlier in December by Drop Site, an investigative news platform. In the article, Jones cited interviews with 13 current and former BBC staffers, who alleged that Berg “sets the tone for the BBC’s digital output on Israel and Palestine.”
One former journalist was quoted as saying: “This guy’s (Berg’s) entire job is to water down everything that’s too critical of Israel.”
I’m not an Owen Jones cheerleader but if he has 13 sources for his claims without exaggerating or taking things out of context, what legal claim can Raffi possibly have?
Edit: though it might be telling that it’s published by a website no one has heard of, rather than something like The Guardian.
TheGuardian is also heavily pro-Israel they rarely cover other newspapers bias. Stones, glass houses and the like. Ironically, Owen Jones is a writer for TheGuardian.
Rafi Berg wrote a book in 2020 praising the Mossad and has heavy ties to Israel. Israel might bankroll his legal fund.