BBC is branded ‘despicable’ as Rabbi is ‘ambushed’ live on air with ‘hostile’ questions about Israel after he was ‘invited’ to talk about Jewish holiday – as Beeb issues an apology

The BBC has reportedly issued an apology to a Rabbi over the ‘grotesquely unfair’ line of questioning adopted by anchor Ben Brown during a BBC News interview.

Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, of the British United Synagogue in Jerusalem, appeared on the network on December 23 for a discussion which he claims was pitched to him as focusing on the Jewish holiday of Chanukah.

BBC News had interviewed multiple other faith leaders from Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the lead up to Rabbi Sylvester’s segment, including a Christian reverend and a leader of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The network stated when introducing Rabbi Sylvester that they had been interviewing these various religious figures to see how the ‘shadow of war’ had impacted their local communities.

BBC anchor Ben Brown began the interview by asking Rabbi Sylvester about the prospect of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine to help put an end to the current war in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Speaking to the Jewish Chronicle after-the-fact, Rabbi Sylvester blasted the question as ‘outrageous’ and accused Brown of implying that Israel had started the war.

In his response on air, Rabbi Sylvester stated that ‘most Israeli’s are very nervous’ about a potential two-state solution and added that the prospect could only be considered if Palestinian’s adopted a leadership ‘willing to have a liberal democracy’.

This answer prompted a follow-up question from Brown who interjected that the responsibility over reaching a peace deal must also be borne by the Israeli government, and not solely Palestinian leadership. 

Accusations of anti-Jewish bias were also levelled at the BBC by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA)

In his remarks to the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Sylvester also accused the BBC of promoting anti-Jewish attitudes and spreading misinformation about the Middle East.

‘Their words carry weight and provoke evermore antisemitism, sometimes leading to physical attacks on the street. So I was happy to talk about the current situation and to correct the misinformation which is spread about Israel,’ he said.

Ben Brown went on to quote former Israeli political advisor and Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy who has been outspoken in his criticism of the Israeli military’s actions in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Balking at the mention of Levy’s name, Rabbi Sylvester accused Levy of being on the extreme left in Israeli politics and said that he didn’t speak for the majority of Israelis. 

With time running out in the interview, Brown cut Rabbi Sylvester’s final answer short. 

The Jewish Chronicle also reports to having seen an email from a senior BBC news editor which offered an apology to Rabbi Sylvester for ‘focusing a little too much on politics’.

The BBC has since confirmed to the MailOnline that it has been in contact with Rabbi Sylvester in the wake of the interview. 

Accusations of anti-Jewish bias were also levelled at the BBC by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), who labelled the interview ‘absolutely despicable’.

‘Not a single question about Chanukah or Jewish suffering in the region right now. Absolutely despicable. The only silver lining is that Rabbi Sylvester acquitted himself very well in the circumstances,’ a CAA spokesperson said.

The BBC has been in contact with Rabbi Sylvester directly since the airing of his interview on the network last month

A BBC spokesperson, reacting to these allegations, told the MailOnline: ‘The BBC News channel interviewed leaders of different faiths seeking to reflect how the ongoing conflict is having an impact on their communities, as well as looking ahead to their hopes for 2025. 

‘We interviewed the leaders live from the Middle East and challenged their views where necessary. 

‘While the interviews intended to cover recent news events as well as matters related to faith, we acknowledge that we should have allowed more time to speak with Rabbi Gideon Sylvester about his religion and the impact of the conflict on Hanukkah. 

‘We deplore antisemitism, and we are committed to reporting the conflict with accuracy, impartiality and transparency’.