The BBC is facing an escalating crisis over its refusal to screen an aid appeal for Gaza.

The decision was bitterly criticised by a powerful coalition of politicians, charities and religious leaders.

More than 11,000 complaints from the public had been received by Sunday night, against only 68 messages of support.

Thousands of protesters massed outside BBC headquarters in London and demonstrators invaded the Glasgow office of BBC Scotland.

More than 50 MPs from across the political spectrum have backed an emergency Commons motion calling on the BBC to screen the two-minute appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, which represents 13 leading British charities.

ITV, Channel 4 and Five have all agreed to show it after their main news bulletins
tonight. Sky News has yet to decide.

BBC bosses insist the corporation’s reputation for impartiality would be dented if they did. But critics branded the decision ‘inconsistent and incoherent’ as the BBC has previously screened appeals for victims of conflicts.

Last year, it broadcast an appeal for the victims of civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The DEC hopes to raise millions to bring emergency aid to 500,000 Palestinians left without access to running water following Israel’s three-week assault on the territory.

The charities say families are in desperate need of food, medicines and shelter as a result of the conflict between Israel and Hamas-led militants.

BBC director general Mark Thompson rejected a direct plea from International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander to show the appeal.

He said: ‘The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story. When we have turned down DEC appeals in the past it has been because of this risk of giving the public the impression that the BBC was taking sides in an ongoing conflict.’

But Mr Alexander said the public would be ‘shocked, surprised and saddened’.

He said: ‘I think the British public can distinguish between support for humanitarian aid and perceived partiality in a conflict.

‘I really struggle to see, in the face of the immense human suffering in Gaza at the moment, that this is in any way a credible argument.’

Mr Thompson’s explanations were dismissed as ‘completely feeble’ by health minister Ben Bradshaw.

The criticism was echoed by religious leaders including Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and some Jewish groups.

Urging the BBC to ‘wake up and get on with it’, Dr Sentamu said: ‘In the end, it’s not a question of impartiality, it’s a question of those who have been made destitute, those who need food, those who need medicine, those who need help.

‘This is not an appeal for Hamas – that would be horrendous and horrific. This is to help actual people who are wounded, who need medicines, who need shelter, who need food.’

Labour MP Richard Burden will table an early-day motion today criticising the BBC’s ‘unconvincing and incoherent’ decision.

He said: ‘This is not about taking sides in the conflict. It is about providing urgent help to people in desperate need. More than 400 children have died, thousands are homeless and nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza.

‘The important thing is to get aid into Gaza. This is recognised by almost everyone – including the Government. The BBC appears to be the only one who has a problem seeing this.’

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said it was an ‘insult’ to suggest viewers could not distinguish between the humanitarian needs of children and families in Gaza and the ‘political sensitivities of the Middle East’.

He said: ‘To suggest that the BBC should somehow not allow people to show their compassion for that human suffering because of the wider controversy in the Middle East is a case of the BBC totally getting its priorities upside-down.’

Justice Minister Shahid Malik said he had not met anyone who supported the BBC’s position.

He said: ‘Lots of Jewish friends I have spoken to are horrified by what the BBC are doing. I haven’t come across anyone, frankly, that supports the BBC’s position.’

Some of the comments drew criticism, however, from BBC Trust chairman Michael Lyons, who said they were ‘coming close to constituting undue interference in the editorial independence of the BBC’.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said it was right for the BBC to make its own decision.

He said: ‘These are difficult judgments for all broadcasters, but particularly for the BBC
because of the way it is funded.

‘Everybody likes to accuse the BBC of bias one way or another and it always finds itself in the centre of very difficult judgment calls about these kind of things.’

He added: ‘I am pleased that other broadcasters have decided to show this appeal.’

Crisis at BBC escalates as 11,000 complain over refusal to broadcast Gaza appeal | Mail Online