Ahmed Alagha, a freelance journalist repeatedly used by the BBC, has made a number of controversial antisemitic and anti-Israel social media posts, including defending the October 7 massacre and describing Jews as “devils.”
The posts, first reported on by British newspaper The Telegraph on Saturday, included comments such as, “The Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites” on videos featuring Israeli strikes on Gaza carried out after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks.
“And as we know, the ‘Israelis’ are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism,” Alagha wrote in another post. “That’s just one snapshot. What if we were to compile all their crimes across that entire dark/black history, from the moment of occupation up until now? It is the entity of filth, and the unrivalled swamp of wickedness.”
The journalist’s post on Jews and Israel pre-date the commencement of the war against Hamas. In January 2023, following a terrorist attack near a Jerusalem synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day, Alagha wrote, “This martyr stole my heart, he alone killed eight Zionists.”
The youngest victim of the attack was 14-year-old Asher Natan.
Several of Alagha’s posts were deleted from X after he was approached by The Telegraph for comment, the British newspaper reported. The Jerusalem Post was able to view a number of other controversial X/Twitter posts despite this.
On October 7, the day terrorists invaded southern Israel in breach of an existing ceasefire and massacred 1,200 people, Alagha posted, “Remove your emotions, no matter how hideous their situation is. May God continue to strengthen the occupation, nor raise their status, nor grant them justice, nor guide their aim. They are the corrupt party in this case, my friend. No honorable blood is being shed for them, nor are they right. The truth is clear. The truth never dies. #AlAqsa_Flood”
وانزع عاطفتك مهما رأيت من بشاعة حالهم لا أزال الله للاحتلال شدة ولا رفع لهم شأن ولا أنصف لهم رأي ولا سدد لهم رمي .إنهم الطرف الفاسد في هذه القضية يا صديقيلا دماء تسيل لهم شريفة ولا هم أصحاب حق الحق واضح الحق لا يموت #طوفان_الاقصي
— أحمد الأغا (@alaghatv) October 7, 2023
He later posted, “O God, oppress the Israeli occupation and its supporters. O God, glorify Islam and Muslims.”
اللهُم ضيّق على الاحتلال الإسرائيلي ومن والاه ، اللهُم أعز الإسلام والمسلمين.
— أحمد الأغا (@alaghatv) October 8, 2023
Alagha’s social media history also included examples of historic antisemitic stereotypes. One post retweeted by the journalist said: “God, deal with the Jews. Those who break covenants and promises. They do not enjoy what is right…They claimed that they killed Jesus, peace be upon him, took the calf, transgressed the Sabbath, killed the prophets, concealed the testimony of God Almighty, followed their desires, and exchanged God’s blessing for disbelief. They loved money more than God…”
The BBC’s response
A BBC spokesman said: “International journalists, including the BBC, are not allowed access to Gaza, so we hear from a range of contributors in the region. Ahmed Alagha was a contributor. He is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBC’s reporting team. In this instance, we were unaware of the contributor’s social media activity prior to hearing from him.
“His views were not expressed on a BBC platform, his posts do not reflect the BBC’s view and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism on our services.”
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