From the Liveblog of
Saturday, November 14, 2026
Report: New BBC Arabic chief referred to Beersheba and Metula as ‘occupied,’ called Israelis hurt by rockets ‘settlers’
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The new head of the BBC’s Arabic news service has reportedly described Israeli cities and towns as “occupied” while branding Israeli citizens wounded by Palestinian rocket fire as “settlers.”
The Telegraph says that Mayssaloun Nassar made the remarks on social media while employed at France 24, noting that the hiring comes amid growing criticism of BBC Arabic’s coverage.
During a bout of fighting in November 2012 between Israel and Hamas, Nassar referred to Israel’s main southern city of Beersheba as the “occupied city of Beersheba,” and said 28 “settlers” were injured by rockets fired from Gaza.
She also falsely described an attack that month on Metula, which lies along Israel’s border with Lebanon and, like Beersheba, has been part of Israel since 1948, as occurring “inside the occupied territories.”
Additionally, Nassar came under fire in 2016 for a report on a terrorist from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine without mentioning his role in the 2001 assassination of minister Rehavam Ze’evi.
The Times of Israel Community.