Ben de Pear, the programmes’ executive producer revealed that the BBC tried to get him to sign legal gagging clauses that would prevent him from talking about the “painful journey” in getting the documentary, “Gaza: Doctors under Attack”, to air [GETTY]
The producer of a documentary on Gaza’s healthcare system, which the BBC dropped, has accused the broadcaster of trying to silence him over its decision not to air the film.
Ben de Pear, executive producer of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, said the broadcaster attempted to make him sign legal gagging clauses that would prevent him from discussing the “painful journey” of getting the documentary to air.
“I rejected and refused to sign the double gagging clause the BBC bosses tried multiple times to get me to sign,” De Pear explained in a post on LinkedIn announcing the documentary’s release.
“Not only could we have been sued for saying the BBC refused to air the film (palpably and provably true) but also if any other company had said it, the BBC could sue us.
“Not only could we not tell the truth that was already stated, but neither could others. Reader, I didn’t sign it.”
De Pear also questioned why coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza remains so limited: “Why should there only be a handful of UK documentaries about Gaza? Why won’t the US media commission anything? Why can we watch on our phones the death of tens of thousands, but not on our TVs?”
While the BBC did not comment on the allegations directly, a source told The Guardian that De Pear’s company, Basement Films, was asked to sign a standard clause requiring BBC permission before conducting publicity around its shows.
The BBC came under fire in June after it scrapped plans to air Gaza: Doctors Under Attack following months of delays. The broadcaster cited impartiality concerns, claiming the documentary did not meet its editorial standards. Channel 4 later picked up the film and aired it on Wednesday.
The BBC also dropped another Gaza-focused documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, after it emerged that the central subject, 13-year-old Abdullah Alyazour, was the son of Ayman Alyazouri, a deputy minister in Gaza’s government.
The corporation has faced mounting criticism over its reporting on Gaza. More than 400 public figures signed an open letter demanding the removal of a BBC board member over “opaque decisions made at senior levels” concerning coverage of the war.
The letter says the decision to shelve the film “demonstrates, once again, that the BBC is not reporting ‘without fear or favour’ when it comes to Israel”.
