BBC’s Longstanding Mistranslation Problem: The Consequences of Getting “Yahud” Wrong

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Longstanding Mistranslation Problem: The Consequences of Getting “Yahud” Wrong

 

The BBC has long struggled with accuracy in its reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but few issues illustrate this better than its repeated mistranslation of the Arabic word Yahud. Despite clear dictionary definitions and linguistic consensus that Yahud translates to “Jew,” the BBC has consistently rendered it as “Israeli” in its coverage. This seemingly minor word choice has significant consequences, both for journalistic integrity and public understanding.

 

The controversy resurfaced most pointedly following the airing of Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, a BBC documentary that came under fire for serious lapses in editorial standards. It was later revealed that one of the individuals featured was the son of a Hamas minister, and his family had received payment for his participation. Among the many concerns raised was the documentary’s treatment of the word Yahud, which was altered five times from “Jews” to “Israeli forces.”

 

 

In one particular scene, a speaker expressed admiration for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and praised “jihad against the Jews.” The BBC translated this as “fighting Israeli forces.” Critics argue this substitution fundamentally misrepresents the speaker’s intent and diminishes the overtly racist nature of such statements.

 

Anti-Semitism, some argue, was diluted to soften the portrayal of Palestinian interviewees and redirect attention toward Israel. “Anti-Semitism was ‘triaged’ by the broadcaster to make it more palatable and Palestinian interviewees more sympathetic,” reads one critique. This, critics say, obstructs an honest engagement with the genocidal ideology expressed by Hamas and its supporters, particularly in the context of the October 7 attacks, where victims were targeted not based on nationality, but religion. “When Hamas terrorists attacked families on October 7 their intention was not to kill Israelis. It was to kill Jews whether they were men, women, grandmothers or tiny babies.”

 

Despite pledging to address the issue, the BBC has yet to reach a definitive conclusion two months after the documentary aired. The Arabic-English translation of Yahud is not ambiguous. Veteran Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh stated, “When I speak to Palestinians and they say ‘Yahud’ I will write it in English as ‘Jew’. This is the accurate translation. If the BBC or any other media organisation are subtitling it as ‘Israeli’ they are misleading viewers.”

 

This issue isn't new. As far back as 2013, a viewer raised concerns about the same mistranslation, only to be met with bureaucratic resistance. The corporation’s complaints system has too often been used not to seek truth or transparency, but to protect the BBC from criticism. As a result, a policy of mistranslation was effectively institutionalized, obscuring the racist intent of certain statements for more than a decade.

 

This editorial failure points to deeper issues in the BBC’s reporting on Israel. Critics argue that the broadcaster has repeatedly minimized or ignored anti-Semitism when Jews are the targets. “Not for the first time did the BBC ignore racism because its target was Jewish people,” the critique continues, echoing frustration from many in the Jewish community who feel their concerns have been systematically disregarded.

 

There is a growing consensus that if the BBC is to retain credibility on issues involving anti-Semitism and the Israel-Palestine conflict, it must start with something as fundamental as accurate translation. “Only a clear-cut translation as Jew can be accurate,” the piece concludes. The pressing question for BBC Director General Tim Davie remains: when it comes to language, who should we trust—professional translators and dictionaries, or the BBC’s own editorial discretion?

 

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  Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-04-24