The BBC was last night under fire for broadcasting episodes of The Apprentice starring a candidate accused of making ‘a stream of anti-Jewish’ comments on social media.
Television executives refused to take the programme off-air after former NHS doctor Asif Munaf continued to make ‘grotesquely antisemitic’ remarks after a BBC-organised diversity and inclusion training course.
Dr Munaf – who now owns his own wellness brand – described Zionism as a ‘satanic cult’ in the aftermath of the October 7 terror attack.
He also wrote on social media that he was compiling a ‘list of sadistic doctors’ who were ‘supporting the Zionist genocide’.
Dr Munaf had also said that Zionists are ‘odiously ogre-like’ and labelled the ‘Zionist PR machine’ as ‘slimy’.
Dr Munaf was sent on an equalities training course after the BBC was alerted to his tweets once filming had concluded. The BBC said had the posts been there before filming, he would not have been included in the show. At the time a spokesman for The Apprentice said: ‘After filming had taken place, we were made aware of concerns over social media posts that Asif had made after he had left the process.
‘As soon as we were alerted, we took immediate action and spoke to Asif in detail on this.
‘Asif took part in specialised training to understand why his posts may cause offence.’
Dr Munaf insisted ‘it was not my intention to offend anyone’.
But since then he has continued to make controversial remarks about the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Two weeks ago he wrote that the ‘Zionist mask is falling’ and accused Israel of weaponizing the Holocaust to ‘push another fascist ideology’.
Yesterday, Danny Cohen – former director of BBC Television – claimed the training ‘clearly did not work’ citing further offensive remarks by Dr Munaf.
Writing in The Telegraph Mr Cohen said: ‘The BBC’s inaction sends a message.
‘You can be racist towards Jews and there are no consequences. You can enjoy fame on the BBC even if you are the kind of person whose views painfully remind Jewish viewers of Nazi propaganda.
‘Once again, the Jewish community has been failed by the BBC.’
Last night a spokesperson for Campaign against antisemitism said: ‘How does the BBC think that Jewish people react when they turn on the television and see someone who has engaged in the most vicious rhetoric on their national broadcaster?
‘Asif Munaf has reportedly spoken of ‘the Zionist antichrist’, the ‘slimy Zionist PR machine’, ‘odiously ogre-like Zionists’, ‘Zionist doctors’, ‘weaponising the Holocaust’ and more.
‘These sorts of views should usually get you fired. At the BBC, they just put you on telly.’
Director of the Board of Deputies Marie Van der Zyl said: ‘The BBC’s response has been extremely poor. Our community feels as if viewing figures have been prioritised over combatting hideous prejudice.
‘The Corporation should publicly apologise for its mishandling of this situation.’
Concerns about Dr Munaf were first raised by the Jewish News after Dr Munaf appeared on BBC show Dragon’s Den.
The former medic turned entrepreneur has also made a series of misogynistic videos on Instagram including one titled ‘Have you ever met a beautiful feminist?’ and another entitled ‘Don’t Trust What Women Say’.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
