‘When you cite the Nazis, you’ve lost the argument’: Minister Grant Shapps slams veteran BBC correspondent John Simpson over his attempt to explain why the broadcaster won’t call Hamas ‘terrorists’

Grant Shapps today criticized veteran BBC correspondent John Simpson after he referred to the Nazis in an attempt to explain why the broadcaster refuses to call Hamas terrorists.

The Defense Secretary, who is Jewish, attacked a 600-word blog post by the 79-year-old published on the BBC website, excerpts of which were later emailed to staff.

In it, Mr Simonson claimed that ‘BBC broadcasters were specifically told during the Second World War not to call the Nazis bad or bad’.

It came as the company continued to resist calls to label the Palestinian group as terrorists despite their bloody attack on Israel that left 1,300 dead.

The post further angered Jewish BBC staff when Deborah Turnness, the BBC’s chief executive for news and current affairs, included this part of his blog in an email to staff.

On a visit to Washington to meet his American counterpart, Mr Shapps said: ‘John Simpson, a journalist I have always admired enormously, must know that as well as anyone else if you start quoting the Nazis in which argument whatsoever. actually lost it.

The Defense Secretary, who is Jewish, criticized a 600-word blog post by the 79-year-old published on the BBC website.

Jewish BBC staff are said to be shocked by references to Nazis in a blog post by veteran journalist John Simpson

Ahmed Hussain, who has been in charge of BBC radio station Asian Network since 2020, is also said to have reposted messages asking whether the terror group had beheaded babies.

‘Parliament has defined them (Hamas) as a terrorist organisation, Ofcom has confirmed that the BBC is wrong in claiming that Ofcom will not let them be called terrorists. I think it’s time for the BBC to move on.’

Simpson wrote: ‘It’s always been that way at the BBC. During the Second World War, the BBC broadcasters were specifically told not to call the Nazis bad or evil, even though we could call them ‘the enemy’, and we did. “Above all,” said a BBC document, “there should be no room for tirades.” Our tone had to be calm and collected.”

But a BBC staffer told the Times: ‘What was he thinking when he referred to the Nazis?

‘It’s never a good idea, especially not at this time.

‘Doesn’t he realize how vulnerable Jewish employees feel? It should not have been repeated by Deborah.’

Another said people were ‘not happy with it’ and it was ‘questionable’ as they were not aware of the ‘sensitivities’ of this language.

It comes as it emerged that the head of BBC radio station Asian Network reposted tweets describing Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks as ‘genocide’.

Ahmed Hussain, who has been in charge of the station since 2020, is also said to have reposted messages asking whether the terror group had beheaded babies. The BBC is already facing criticism from Jewish groups for its handling of the crisis, which began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7.

The BBC has refused to describe the people behind the attacks as ‘terrorists’, instead using words such as ‘militants’ – despite the government classifying Hamas as a terrorist group.

This has sparked a response from politicians and British Jews, with hundreds of protesters demonstrating outside the BBC in London on Monday evening.

The BBC is now expected to investigate the use of the word terrorism in relation to groups such as Hamas as part of a review of its editorial guidelines in the spring.

There was anger on Monday evening when the BBC called the Islamic State-inspired shooting in Brussels that killed two Swedes a “terrorist attack”. The BBC subsequently said that this use of the word terror had been a ‘mistake’. The company is also under scrutiny over claims that another BBC program is questioning whether a Hamas massacre at a kibbutz actually took place.

The BBC is now expected to investigate the use of the word terrorism in relation to groups such as Hamas

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, a BBC Arabic program called Trending had suggested that there was more than one version of this story.

A BBC spokesperson said the report was ‘quickly removed from BBC output’ because it did not meet ‘editorial standards’.

This comes as the BBC investigates reports that six journalists and a freelancer from its Arab service appeared to support Hamas and had backed its attacks on social media. It is believed they have all been taken off air as investigations continue.

Yesterday the BBC responded to claims about the head of its Asian Network. It said: ‘Our social media guidelines set out clear expectations for staff, including the special responsibility of all senior leaders to uphold the impartiality of the BBC. Any violations will be taken seriously and we have spoken to Ahmed and made him aware of these responsibilities.”