Lord Mann, the UK's independent adviser on antisemitism, said the BBC's director-general refused antisemitism training for the broadcaster on more than one occasion. This was first reported by The Telegraph on Saturday.
Mann claimed that he had visited the BBC's leadership on three occasions after assuming the role in 2019 and that each time, they had refused the offers of antisemitism training. Among the BBC bosses was the director-general, Tim Davie, who, according to The Telegraph, turned down the offers despite growing Jew-hatred within the organization.
The Telegraph reported on Mann's strong condemnation, saying that the "arrogance at the top" of the BBC meant it failed to take allegations of antisemitic and anti-Israel bias seriously.
Mann also called for the firing of top executives who green-lighted the controversial documentary Gaza: How to survive a war zone.
The documentary created an uproar after it was revealed that the narrator was a child of a senior Hamas government official.
"Heads should roll," Mann told The Telegraph. "And the heads that roll shouldn’t just be the little heads. You know that’s always the danger with organizations the size of the BBC. Let’s get rid of some at the top."
“Someone at the top should carry the can," he added. "It’s not acceptable, and I’ve been in there several times. I’ve offered them training, and they’ve never accepted it. I think there’s often an arrogance there.”
He told The Telegraph: “Tim Davie and others who I’ve met, they’ve had those offers. And I challenge and question why they have not accepted it. More fool them. They haven’t done it. They should have done.”
Lord Mann: UK gov't must launch inquiry into BBC failings
He also said he would urge the British government to instigate a public inquiry if senior BBC executives did not take responsibility for the documentary.
At the time, a BBC spokesperson said it took the issues "incredibly seriously" and would carry out a fact-finding review. However, according to The Telegraph, senior figures at the BBC tried to shift the responsibility onto Hoyo Films - an independent production company that made the show.
Davie said "We were not told" by Hoyo about the connection between the boy and Hamas.