THE BBC has finally issued a correction after it used a video of Israeli football supporters attacking Dutch locals when reporting that Israeli fans had been attacked in Amsterdam.
However, despite saying it was “happy to correct the record”, the BBC did not remove the video in question from its social media channels until contacted by The National.
It comes after international headlines were made following Maccabi Tel Aviv playing against Ajax in the Dutch capital on November 7, with violent clashes erupting around the city.
Media reports controversially called it a “pogrom” and reported that antisemitism and anger about the ongoing assault on Gaza had sparked violence from the Dutch side, especially among Palestinians and Muslims.
However, international media largely ignored violence and racist chants from the Israeli fans – who were filmed singing “death to Arabs” among other slogans – which was seen as contributing to the escalating tension.
France24 reported in the days following the violence: “Many outlets focused on antisemitic attacks, while overlooking anti-Arab or anti-Muslim behaviour by Maccabi supporters. Part of this was because a video filmed by Dutch photographer Annet de Graaf was widely circulated and often misrepresented.”
In footage that would become key and which was used by the BBC, de Graaf recorded dozens of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters engaging in violent behaviour near Amsterdam's Central Station.
Using clips of the video, the BBC reported an Israeli fan as saying: “Suddenly a lot of people come to attack us. A lot of people, like 100, maybe more, with belts and sticks and rocks. They took everything that they can to beat Israeli Jews.”
“Suddenly a lot of people come to attack us… with belts and sticks and rock.” Israeli football fan, Ami Shooman, describes how he and his 13 year old son experienced violence in Amsterdam.#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/2T56WrdaO3
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 8, 2024
The broadcaster has now accepted that its use of the video “could have given the impression that this was illustrating attacks on Israeli fans” – and not the reality of the situation.
However, the misleading video remained live on the BBC’s social media channels.
Furthermore, the BBC correction came 45 days after it was broadcast. In comparison, a New York Times correction for the same misleading use of the video took less than five days.
The BBC said in an online statement: “During an interview on Newsnight with an Israeli fan about disorder after a football match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, we used stills and footage from the night to accompany the conversation. This included footage shot near the Amsterdam Central Station appearing to show a large group chasing and attacking an individual.
“However, the author of the clip said separately on social media she had filmed Maccabi supporters attacking a Dutch man and so its inclusion during this segment, and some previous use when reporting reaction to the disorder on the BBC News Channel, could have given the impression that this was illustrating attacks on Israeli fans.
“We acknowledge that we should have been clearer about the context, and that the use of the footage here was intended to illustrate the general disorder, and are happy to correct the record.”
After this story was published, the BBC responded to say they would delete the video from their social media.