Raffi Berg

Raffi Berg   (editor)
Nationality	UK?
Alma mater	LSE, University of Central Lancashire
Middle East Editor - Online In office July 2013 - Present Employer BBC News  Journalist  In office July 2001 - July 2013 Employer BBC News Succeeded by Souad Mekhennet  Producer  In office April 2001 - July 2001 Employer Sky News  News Producer In office June 1999 - June 2001 Employer ITN Preceded by Raffi Berg  News Producer In office June 1998 - June 1999 Employer AOL Succeeded by Raffi Berg  News Editor In office August 1997 - June 1998 Employer US Department of State,  Foreign Broadcast Information Service Location Caversham  News Producer In office September 1995 - August 1997 Employer Associated Press Television Preceded by Raffi Berg  News Producer In office March 1995 - September 1995 Employer Live TV,  (cable channel) Succeeded by Raffi Berg  News Reporter In office August 1993 - January 1995 Employer Radio City 96.7 Location Liverpool Preceded by Raffi Berg  News Reporter In office June 1993 - August 1993 Employer MFM RADIO Location Wrexham Succeeded by Raffi Berg

Raffi Berg is a television news journalist who has been Middle East Editor at the BBC since 2013. He has almost complete control of BBC's online coverage of Israel's war on Gaza and is ensuring that all events are reported with a pro-Israel bias. According to an investigation by Owen Jones, published by Drop Site News on 28 December 2024, thirteen current and former staff members have exposed that Berg exerts tight control over the broadcaster’s coverage of the war, ensuring that all reports favour Israel.

Suspend Raffi Berg

On 31 December 2024, the following petition was created on Change.org by Jacqui Bulmer:

Suspend Raffi Berg from BBC for Pro-Israeli Bias in Reporting

As someone who values unbiased journalism, it deeply concerns me to see Raffi Berg of BBC persistently demonstrating pro-Israeli bias in his reporting. A news organisation as globally recognised and respected as the BBC should strictly adhere to just, unbiased, and fact-based journalism. The need for journalistic neutrality is crucial as it forms the cornerstone of a democratic society and informs our understanding of the events that shape our world. It is well understood that personal affiliations and biases must not influence conducted researches and published reports. Sadly, Berg's advocacy for Israeli perspectives triggers concerns over distortion of facts and manipulation of narratives, straying from the BBC's mission of impartial news presentation.

According to a survey by YouGov in 2019, only 44% of Britons trust BBC News, indicating that biases have implications for the broadcaster's reputation and viewer trust.

It is hence a sincere plea to the BBC to uphold its commitment to impartiality by suspending Raffi Berg until an investigation into these allegations has been conducted. This will set a precedent for other journalists, reminding them of the fundamental importance of neutral reporting in journalism. Let's ensure that the lens through which we see the world remains uncoloured, unbiased, and true.

Sadly if this continues to be unaddressed I shall have no option other than to cancel my BBC Licence.

Sign the petition today to press the BBC to take action.

Dehumanising Palestinians

Staff have stated that BBC coverage consistently dehumanises Palestinians while ignoring the crimes being committed by Israel, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 45,500 Palestinians. One former journalist revealed that Berg’s role is to “water down everything that’s too critical of Israel.” Another source described Berg’s power as overwhelming, with a strong internal culture of Israeli propaganda at the BBC.

Downplaying reports

Berg’s influence over the narrative is evident in the downplaying of significant reports, such as Amnesty International’s documentation of Israeli genocide in Gaza. In this case, Berg emphasised Israel’s denial, using the headline “Israel rejects ‘fabricated’ claims of genocide” and delayed the story’s publication for 12 hours. This report was not covered by the BBC’s flagship programs like News At One or Newsnight.

Mossad book

On August 23, 2020, Berg posted an image of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking a phone call at his desk. In his post, Berg has zoomed in on and circled a copy of Red Sea Spies visible on a bookshelf behind the prime minister. "First time I’ve been on a prime minister's bookshelf! I know I’ve got one of #Israel PM @netanyahu’s books on mine—but wow!", Berg twitted.

The story for his 2020 book Red Sea Spies: The True Story of Mossad's Fake Diving Resort, a puff piece for the agency, was handed to Berg by a Mossad operative Berg received extensive cooperation from Mossad for the book, including over 100 hours of interviews of past and present agents and Navy and Air Force personnel. In an interview to promote the book, Berg said he collaborated on the project with "Dani," a former senior Mossad commander he described as a "legend" who later became "a very close friend."

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