Raffi Berg

Raffi Berg LinkedIn Twitter (Editor, propagandist)
File:Raffi Berg.jpg
Nationality	UK?
Alma mater	LSE, University of Central Lancashire
Mossad-aligned BBC journalist and Middle East editor

Raffi Berg is a television news journalist who has been Middle East editor at the BBC since 2013. He has been reporting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a consistent pro-Israel bias.

Suing Owen Jones

Raffi Berg sued journalist Owen Jones for an article dated 28 December 2024, published by Drop Site News, in which thirteen current and former BBC staff members exposed that Berg exerts tight control over the state broadcaster's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war by ensuring that all reports favour Israel. Jones' article described “civil war” at the BBC – largely between executives and managers, on one side, and journalists on the other – over the BBC's efforts to obscure the criminal nature of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

On 13 March 2026, Jonathan Cook reported that the High Court’s preliminary ruling in the libel case brought by Berg didn't settle the case but it did strike a blow against the Israel lobby’s years-long lawfare campaign to crush any meaningful criticism of Israel. The ruling means that, should Berg continue the case, Jones will have to defend his article as an expression of his “honest opinion” – based on the evidence supplied by BBC insiders – about Berg’s role in the corporation’s coverage of Gaza.

Berg and his lawyers had hoped to force Jones to defend the article on the basis it was a “statement of fact”.

This distinction is crucial. Had the judge agreed with Berg’s team, responsibility would have fallen on Jones to prove what amounts to intent by Berg to skew BBC coverage – something that, in the absence of internal documents revealing what was being said behind closed doors – would have been nigh impossible.

The onus would fall on Berg to show not only that Jones’ opinion was groundless but that Jones’ intent was to unfairly malign him. This time Berg and his lawyers wouldn’t be able to rely simply on the usual antisemitism smears. They would actually have to produce evidence that Jones was acting in bad faith.

Suspend Raffi Berg

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

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

File:Raffi Berg tweet.png

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 tweeted.

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."