A new Louis Theroux documentary about settlers in the West Bank has sparked impartiality fears amid concerns the presenter’s wife has expressed strong views about Israel.
BBC2 programme, Louis Theroux: The Settlers, will meet the ‘large and growing ultra-nationalist community’ of Israeli settlers who are based in the area.
The documentary is being made by Theroux’s production company Mindhouse, which he co-founded with his wife Nancy Strang and one other person.
But concerns have been raised about the project, due to Ms Strang’s publicly held views on Israel and Palestine.
One critic said it was ‘astonishing’ the BBC had commissioned the programme from a company that was led by someone who had criticised the BBC for being ‘too pro-Israel’.
Ms Strang, who is the creative director of Mindhouse, has put her name to statements that are critical of Israel.
It has emerged she was a signatory to a statement by Filmworkers for Palestine, which accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
In January, she is shown to have put her name to a ‘Palestine coalition statement’ condemning police attempts to stop a march protesting at the BBC.
Ms Strang is also named as a signatory on a ‘Letter for Gaza’ last November, to top BBC bosses, denouncing how broadcasters had covered Gaza and saying it had failed to hold Israel to account.
Broadcaster and journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti, who is also a campaigner against anti-Semitism, told the Mail: ‘It is astonishing that the BBC has commissioned a documentary on Israeli settlers from a production company led by someone who has attacked the BBC for supposedly being too pro-Israel-a claim the BBC itself denies.’
He added: ‘The BBC’s decision to commission this film, despite clear concerns over bias, only reinforces the perception that when it comes to Israel, its commitment to fair and balanced reporting is entirely negotiable.’
The BBC says the new programme will show what happens when Theroux ’embeds himself’ in the West Bank, meeting ‘prominent settlers’ and ‘travelling throughout the territory’.
It says he also discovers the settlers are ‘already making plans’ to move into Gaza.
Theroux said he was interested in ‘ideologues and fundamentalists of all stripes’.
The settlements are regarded as illegal under international law.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Nancy Strang is not involved in this project. Multi-award winning journalist and documentary maker Louis Theroux is being supported in this film by an experienced team who have been working in the region for more than a decade. It will fully comply with BBC editorial guidelines on impartiality.’
Mindhouse has been approached for comment.
