BBC Employee Fired After Alleging Antisemitism Post-Oct. 7
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
A Jewish BBC employee, Lucy Cohen, claims she faced antisemitism and was subsequently fired after the October 7th attacks. Cohen alleges colleagues made antisemitic remarks and questioned the Hamas attacks, while the BBC initiated layoffs during her medical leave. Despite her contributions to award-winning films, her name was removed from credits, leading her to state the BBC has a "serious problem with antisemitism."
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Lucy Cohen, a Jewish BBC employee, alleges antisemitism and wrongful termination after Oct. 7.
- She claims colleagues made antisemitic remarks and questioned Hamas's actions.
- Cohen's position was eliminated during layoffs while she was hospitalized.
- Her name was removed from film credits after she paid for her own Oscar trip.
- Cohen stated the BBC has a "serious problem with antisemitism."
- The BBC stated antisemitism is unacceptable and all complaints are investigated.
Lucy Cohen, a Jewish employee with 25 years at the BBC, including an Emmy and an Oscar for her work, claims she experienced antisemitism at the network following the October 7th Hamas attacks. Cohen stated that after sharing a message calling Hamas terrorists "evil," a colleague responded, "So are the Zionists." The situation reportedly worsened in the following days, with Jewish employees facing antisemitic remarks. Cohen claims she had to hide in accessible restrooms to avoid verbal confrontations. In one instance, a colleague allegedly suggested she "think about what drove Hamas to do what they did," despite graphic evidence of atrocities.
While Cohen was dealing with a medical condition in the hospital, the BBC reportedly began layoffs, and her position was eliminated. This occurred despite the network celebrating the awards won by films she produced, including a documentary about a Russian teacher confronting Putin, which received a BAFTA and an Oscar. Cohen reportedly paid for her own flight to the Oscar ceremony and discovered her name had been removed from the film's credits on British streaming platforms.
"The BBC is not full of antisemites, but it has a serious problem with antisemitism," Cohen stated, adding, "I went from a respected journalist to a Jew with a stamp on my forehead."
A BBC spokesperson responded, "We do not comment on individual personnel matters, but antisemitism in any form is unacceptable within our organization. We take all complaints seriously and investigate them according to our strict procedures."