The Israel-Hamas war has brought with it increasing displays of antisemitism in the Western world. In response, many individuals and organizations opposing anti-Jewish bigotry have stood up to combat those who inflame hatred against the Jewish people. Unfortunately, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is not one of those entities.

The BBC is prohibiting Jewish employees from participating in an antisemitism awareness march, citing concerns about impartiality and bias.

The BBC is facing criticism from some Jewish staff who feel they have been banned from attending a march against antisemitism.

The event, billed by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is organising it, as the largest British gathering against antisemitism since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, is scheduled to get under way at London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Sunday afternoon.

But staff working in news and current affairs, factual journalism and senior leaders who have sought permission from the broadcaster to attend have been told that they need to adhere to the BBC’s existing guidance on attending marches, which state that staff in those divisions should not participate in public demonstrations or gatherings about controversial issues.

Individuals who have asked to take part in previous pro-Palestinian marches are understood to have received similar instructions.

This move has elicited criticism from members of BBC's staff, who point out that the point of the march is to oppose bigotry, something that most people already agree with.

Several sources have questioned whether a march against antisemitism should be considered contentious.

“Racism is racism and something we should all abhor — but not when it comes to anti-Jewish racism it seems,” said one. “If the BBC believes that racism is racism and not acceptable in any shape or form then going on a rally against antisemitism shouldn’t be an issue.”

The other issue is that BBC is displaying an apparent double standard in this regard. In the past, BBC has allowed its journalists to participate in Pride marches, which are intended in part to raise awareness about bigotry against members of the LGBTQ community. While they are designed to promote inclusivity, these marches are still very much political in nature.

The BBC did not dispute that was what staff had been told but, after an outcry from politicians and LGBT campaigners, the director general, Tim Davie, clarified the rules and blamed “inaccurate commentary” for spreading concern. He told staff on Friday morning they would still be allowed to attend LGBT Pride marches, providing they remained celebratory and individuals were not seen to be taking a stand on any “politicised or contested issues”.

He said: “Attending Pride parades is possible within the guidelines, but due care needs to be given to the guidance, and staff need to ensure that they are not seen to be taking a stand on politicised or contested issues.”

BBC news staff and senior managers would be welcome to attend “community events that are clearly celebratory or commemorative and do not compromise perceptions of their impartiality”.

The definition of what counts as a “politicised or contested” issue in the context of a Pride march is less clear, especially given recent debate over transgender rights and the government’s decision to drop reforms to the Gender Recognition Act.

The obvious question: Why would attending an antisemitism awareness event be a problem, but not Pride marches?

If both events are designed to fight bigotry, a sentiment most are on board with, then why not allow employees to express their stance against antisemitism?

The answer might be more simple than it seems. Imagine what would have happened if the BBC refused to allow its journalists to attend Pride marches. The backlash would have been furious. The organization would have been peppered with accusations of anti-LGBTQ bigotry. Its leaders would have been harangued from all corners of the Western world by high-profile progressives.

However, when it concerns anti-Jewish bigotry, the situation appears to be different. Perhaps BBC is concerned about observers believing they are taking a side in the Israel-Hamas conflict. But again, the point of the march isn’t to take a side in the war; it is to push back against bigotry. In the end, the matter is simple: For the BBC, anti-LGBTQ bigotry is more important than addressing antisemitism.