Recently, the Jewish BBC sports reporter Noah Abrahams indicated he would no longer work for the network over its refusal to outright label Hamas as terrorists. Abrahams made the announcement on “TalkTV” this Friday.
Hamas carried out the deadliest attack on Israel in decades, targeting an unsuspecting musical festival near the Gaza border. The death toll from the Hamas attack is well over a thousand, including 22 American citizens, according to the latest reports.
Abrahams noted that there is a palpable anxiety in the British Jewish community following the fatal attack. “British Jews are terrified, and so am I. And I’ve just made a really monumental career and life decision. So as with everyone I’m going through a hard time at the moment,” the former BBC reporter noted.
Abrahams commented that he was a man convicted in his moral grounding, calling the BBC’s terminology of Hamas “unjustified.” He further explains the refusal to treat the militants as terrorists could give moral validity to their actions, particularly when some insist they were operating as “freedom fighters.”
“That is correct. I have morals, and I stick by them. I think the words justified and unjustified have been thrown around a lot since the weekend. I think the BBC’s refusal to use the correct terminology is unjustified. Words are quite literally fundamental to the English language. They have impact on how we think, how we react, how we act. They have influence. The phrase freedom fighter distracts from the terrorism,” Abrahams continued.
He further explained that the Jewish community fears that similar attacks could impact them, claiming some Jews will be avoiding London, known for a diverse Middle Eastern population. Given immigration trends in recent years, communities from all around the world reside in Western hubs like the U.K. Abrahams implies that these migrants bring their cultural attitudes with them, expressing concern that the events that occurred in Israel could repeat themself elsewhere.
“Jewish schoolchildren can’t go to school feeling safe and synagogues have security so heightened that it strikes fear to you. We’re taking off our jewelry and necklaces. People will avoid London tomorrow because of the threat. That is fear. And anything that happens in Israel – like it or not – has a direct affect on the British community. Bristish Jews are terrified and so am I. And I don’t feel like I can stand by the BBC any longer with their stance on terminology,” he said.
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In the United States, elected Democratic political officials have received significant political backlash for their characterization of the attacks on Israel. Some politicians, particularly members of the “Squad,” had used the Israeli crisis as an opportunity to push a political agenda.
Sen. Lindsey Graham sounded off on the Democrats for their stance on Israel. “To the squad, shut the hell up. You’re emboldening the enemy, you are a disgrace to the United States Congress. You are siding with terrorists over a democracy called Israel. You have lost your perspective here. I am confident most Democrats do not agree with the squad,” Graham said.