Rachel Riley rips into ‘grotesque’ BBC during tense Newsnight Israel-Hamas war discussion

Rachel Riley has slammed the BBC following its refusal to brand Hamas a terrorist organisation.

Since the against Israel earlier this month, which then saw Israel declare war, the national broadcaster has repeatedly been questioned over its decision to call Hamas a militant group.

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation in countries including the UK, the US, Australia and Japan.

Now Countdown presenter Rachel, 37, has added to the growing list of people who are putting pressure on the BBC to change its stance.

Over the years Rachel, who is Jewish, has been celebrated for her work fighting against antisemitism, however it’s also seen her become the subject of threats in the past.

This week she appeared on Newsnight to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, where she spoke about the conflict, but also turned her attention towards host Kirsty Wark’s employers.

Rachel Riley has slammed the BBC for refusing to call Hamas terrorists (Picture: BBC)

During the interview, Kirsty, 68, brought up the October Declaration, an open letter signed by more than 58,000 people so far, including politicians, artists and celebrities, who have called on the media to brand Hamas terrorists.

She said: ‘Do you think that the October declaration in a way was a way to find solidarity? And that’s what’s behind the declaration for the people to come together and express their feelings?’

When it came time to answer, Rachel did not hold back.

‘It is finding solidarity and it is expressing disgust at organisations like the BBC,’ she began.

She told Newsnight host Kirsty Wark she was ‘disgusted’ (Picture: BBC)

After mentioning details of a case where a pregnant woman was mutilated by Hamas, the host interrupted to say that information was ‘unverified’.

However, her guest fired back: ‘You haven’t seen it. I know many people have seen it. These videos are in existence.

‘There are countless others and countless other examples that journalists sat through the other day to prove this exists because of such denial.

The Hamas attacks on Israel three weeks ago killed over 1300 people (Picture: Reuters)

‘And organisations like the BBC refused to call these terrorists “terrorists”. It is grotesque.’

She continued: ‘It is indefensible, and it allows obfuscation it allows people to claim they are freedom fighters. It is just indefensible, and it is fuelling anti-Jewish hatred in this country.’

In the interview, Rachel also likened supporting Hamas to supporting the Taliban in support of Afghans.

Her comments followed the question: ‘Do you accept that people who support the Palestinians and feel strongly about their plight have a right to march and have a right to freedom of speech in this situation?’

Retaliatory strikes by Israel have now led to thousands of civilian deaths in Palestine (Picture: EPA)

She replied: ‘Of course everyone has a right to freedom of speech. They don’t have a right to support terrorism.

‘Hamas is a designated terrorist organisation in the UK. It’s designated by most Western Governments, most decent governments, so to support Hamas is illegal against the Counter Terrorism Act.

‘Supporting Hamas in support of the Palestinian people is equivalent to supporting the Taliban in support of Afghans.

She continued: ‘It’s incompatible with their freedom, with being able to live their lives peacefully, which is well, what any decent person on the planet wants.’

However, Wark was quick to interject, adding: ‘In a way, what I would say to that as well is, of course, that many Palestinians do not support Hamas.’

In the past few weeks, the BBC has been questioned by public figures including Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said the murder of men, women and children in cold blood, was ‘terrorism by Hamas that needs to be called out as such’.

The BBC has defended its decision to not brand Hamas a terrorist organisation (Picture: EPA)

In a statement the BBC board later defended its wording, saying the organisation had ‘given careful consideration’ to all aspects of reporting, including its language.

‘The BBC is editorially independent; our role is to explain precisely what is happening so that the public can make their own judgements. Our longstanding position, including during previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has been that we do not use the term “terrorist” without attribution, in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines,’ they wrote.

In the BBC guidelines, it states reporting of possible acts of terror ‘should be timely and responsible, bearing in mind our requirement for due accuracy and impartiality’.

It also states the word terrorist can itself ‘be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding’.

Metro.co.uk has contacted BBC for comment.

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She did not hold back!