Several BBC journalists have resigned from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) after receiving instructions to wear the colors of the Palestinian flag during a workplace initiative, according to a report by Jewish News. The directive, part of a Day of Action for Palestine organized by the NUJ and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), encouraged staff to “wear something red, green, black, or a Palestinian keffiyeh” to advocate for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The request sparked outrage among BBC staff, with one journalist calling it “hypocritical and antisemitic” and a violation of the BBC’s impartiality guidelines. The journalist told Jewish News, “BBC journalists, who pride themselves on impartiality and who fought to keep their NUJ free of politics, are being encouraged to break the BBC’s editorial guidelines by supporting a political cause.”

In response, the NUJ acknowledged that BBC employees and public service broadcasters are bound by impartiality standards and social media guidelines. “The NUJ would not wish members to breach these rules,” the union stated. However, tensions within the organization remain high, with more resignations reportedly expected.

Freelance journalist Charlotte Henry announced her resignation from the NUJ, stating that the union had become “a hostile environment for Jews.” She added, “I can no longer be part of that.”

The controversy has also drawn criticism from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which expressed concerns about the impact of such directives in the workplace. “Attempts to bring this issue into the workplace in such a fashion will undoubtedly add to the belligerent atmosphere which many Jewish staff have been facing,” the organization said.

The TUC declined to comment on whether it had previously issued similar directives during other conflicts. Jewish News noted, however, that the union had not requested members to wear Ukrainian colors during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

The incident comes amid broader accusations of bias in BBC coverage. A recent report from The Telegraph, based on research led by British lawyer Trevor Asserson, claimed the BBC had breached editorial guidelines more than 1,500 times since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. The research alleged a “deeply worrying pattern of bias against Israel” and found that Israel was associated with genocide 14 times more frequently than Hamas in the network’s coverage.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)