BBC Breaks Law by Failing to Say If It Made Calls to Israeli Embassy | Novara Media (2026-03-16)

https://novaramedia.com/2026/03/16/bbc-breaks-law-by-failing-to-say-if-it-made-calls-to-israeli-embassy/
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The BBC has broken the law by failing to give a “substantive response” to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking if and when calls took place between its most senior figures and the Israeli embassy, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found.

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The FOI request was submitted on 6 December last year by a former civil servant, who wished to remain anonymous. He told Novara Media he was concerned by the BBC’s biased coverage of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. “If these calls exist, they represent a serious breakdown of the BBC’s Charter of Impartiality and a potential violation by the Israeli embassy of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” he said.

The BBC has broken the law by failing to give a “substantive response” to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking if and when calls took place between its most senior figures and the Israeli embassy, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found.

The ICO – the independent regulatory office that upholds information rights in the public interest – issued a decision notice on Tuesday 10 March, seen by Novara Media ahead of publication online, finding the BBC had failed to respond adequately and within the 20 working days stipulated by law.

The BBC must now hand over records of any calls between the Israeli embassy – including ambassador Tzipi Hotovely – and the BBC-issued mobile phone lines of top corporation leadership, or provide a valid justification under the FOIA for withholding the information. The BBC top brass whose phone records are sought are director-general Tim Davie, BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb, BBC News CEO Deborah Turness and BBC chair Dr Samir Shah.