The BBC’s English-language website has long taken a hostile stance toward the State of Palestine. This position began to crystallise in 2013, following a change in the editorial leadership of its Middle East section. The facts on the ground bear this out.

In 2014, when Sweden formally recognised the State of Palestine, news agencies across the globe reported on it. At the time, I was working as a journalist for BBC Arabic. I quickly wrote a short piece on the development, which was published promptly. Out of curiosity, I checked the main BBC English website to see what their editors had written, hoping to find more background information for my own article. To my surprise, there was no mention of it.

I realised then that the Middle East section, with its newly appointed leadership, had likely made a deliberate choice to ignore Sweden’s recognition. This reluctance to use the term “State of Palestine” soon infected the BBC Arabic section as well. My colleagues and I often debated with our senior editors, who insisted on forbidding the use of the term, even as other newspapers and websites—including Israeli ones—were using it.

I recall an article I wrote on January 25, 2024, in which I reviewed pieces from various newspapers. One of the headlines I used was from the Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth: “Pro-Palestine American students must be taught in a way that rids them of their ignorance.” Yet, a senior editor at the BBC changed this headline, violating our editorial rules, simply to avoid using the word “Palestine.” The new headline read: “Pro-Palestinian American students must be taught in a way that rids them of their ignorance.”

Palestine and the United Nations

The BBC’s flimsy pretext for this stance is that Palestine isn’t yet a fully recognised member of the United Nations. This argument, however, is a deliberate misrepresentation intended to justify its long-held anti-Palestine position. It also reveals a profound ignorance of the facts on the part of BBC editors.

Following the UN General Assembly’s decision in 2012 to grant Palestine observer status, the official name used by the UN Secretariat in all its official documents is “the State of Palestine.” While not a full member, this status allows Palestine to participate in UN General Assembly sessions and the work of its other bodies—it just doesn’t have a vote.

The UN website even has a dedicated section for its work in the region, titled “The United Nations in Palestine.” Furthermore, diplomatic protocol at the UN mandates the use of “State of Palestine” on all nameplates and in official meetings, as is clearly visible on the nameplate at Palestine’s seat during Security Council sessions.

Despite all this, the main BBC English site’s position remained unchanged until Sunday, September 21, 2025, when the British government announced its recognition of a “Palestinian state,” as the site’s headline put it. 

But how did the BBC frame this historic news?

The headline read: “UK, Canada and Australia announce formal recognition of Palestinian state.”

The BBC Arabic section initially adopted a similar, if slightly flawed, phrasing: “Britain, Australia, and Canada announce recognition of the Palestinian state.”

Even after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer himself explicitly used the term “State of Palestine” in his announcement, the BBC English site doubled down on its position, as evidenced by some of its headlines:

• “France to join UK, Canada and Australia in formally recognising Palestinian state”
• “A Palestinian state is the best route to peace, UK minister says”
• “UK says Israel must not retaliate against Palestinian statehood push”

However, the BBC Arabic site soon changed its wording, correcting the mistake and aligning itself with other prominent Arab news outlets like Al Jazeera, Al Araby, Al Arabiya, Asharq Al-Awsat, and Sky News Arabia, which had accurately reported the news:

• “Canada and Australia recognize the State of Palestine” – Asharq Al-Awsat
• “Britain, Canada, and Australia officially announce recognition of the State of Palestine” – Sky News Arabia
• “Canada, Australia, and Britain recognize the State of Palestine… and Netanyahu is on high alert” – Al Arabiya

The BBC Arabic section’s decision to adopt the term “State of Palestine” in its headlines and articles is a commendable change.

A Stark Contrast in Recognition

The UK’s recognition of the Palestinian state was hesitant and delayed, coming more than 77 years after it recognised Israel in 1948.

The world’s swift and decisive recognition of Israel following its declaration of independence stands in stark contrast. On May 14, 1948, US President Harry Truman’s statement was clear and unambiguous, recognising both the “State of Israel” and its “provisional government” as the de facto authority. The British government’s initial statement in January 1949 was brief, merely acknowledging the status quo. It wasn’t until April of the same year, after the new state’s first general election, that the UK granted full legal recognition to Israel as a sovereign state.

This immediate and definitive recognition of Israel highlights the apathetic, indecisive, and delayed approach taken by Britain and other nations toward recognising Palestine. Despite this long-overdue and understated recognition, the BBC—a major and influential media institution—continues to actively avoid using the term “State of Palestine.”

As a British taxpayer, I have a right to demand that the BBC finally align itself with its own government’s position. It must stop shunning the official UN term “State of Palestine,” a term that is used in official documents and proudly displayed on Palestine’s nameplate during Security Council meetings. Isn’t it time for the BBC to acknowledge the state it purports to be reporting on?