Reports uncover BBC Middle East head editor affiliations with Mossad, CIA

Raffi Berg, a senior BBC editor who leads the broadcaster’s Middle East desk, is under fire following allegations of systematic pro-"Israel" bias in the network’s coverage. According to circulating media reports, revelations about his past association with a CIA-linked organization have added a new layer of controversy to the scandal.

Berg’s role at the BBC has come under intense scrutiny after thirteen employees alleged that he suppresses critical reporting on "Israel" and fosters a culture of fear within the organization.

“His entire job is to water down everything that’s too critical of Israel,” one staffer claimed, with others describing him as wielding "wild" levels of influence over Middle East coverage.

The controversy escalated after the investigative outlet Drop Site News published a comprehensive report detailing these claims. Based on interviews with BBC staff, the report painted Berg as a gatekeeper ensuring that BBC coverage aligns with pro-"Israel" narratives.

Adding to the intrigue, Berg’s LinkedIn profile confirms that before joining the BBC in 2001, he worked for the US State Department’s Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) from 1997-1998.

This organization, which was run by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1941-2004, the same time Berg was working there, was responsible for gathering and disseminating intelligence from foreign media.

In a 2020 interview with The Jewish Telegraph, Berg admitted to being aware of FBIS’ connections to the CIA and described his time there as a source of pride.

“I am not embellishing this, it is absolutely true, I worked for the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, which is the equivalent of BBC Monitoring," Berg recalled. "One day, I was taken to one side and told, ‘you may or may not know that we are part of CIA, but don’t go telling people’."

Berg’s connections extend beyond the CIA. His professional relationship with "Israel’s" intelligence agency, Mossad, has also drawn attention.

In 2020, Berg authored Red Sea Spies: The True Story of Mossad’s Fake Diving Resort, a book co-written with former Mossad commander Dani Limor. Berg acknowledged relying heavily on Limor and other Mossad officials to complete the project, even describing the agency as “the world’s greatest intelligence service.”

Berg actively promoted his book and has repeatedly expressed excitement over Benjamin Netanyahu's interest in it. Critics argue that such open admiration for Mossad and Israel’s leadership undermines the BBC’s claim of impartiality, especially given Berg’s significant editorial influence.

Numerous instances cited by Drop Site News suggest that Berg has manipulated BBC coverage to minimize criticism of "Israel".

During the 2012 "Israeli" assault on Gaza, Berg allegedly instructed colleagues to frame the conflict as an operation aimed at stopping rocket fire from Gaza, rather than emphasizing Israeli Occupation aggression.

More recently, BBC coverage of the Israeli Occupation’s killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh presented the incident as a “clash,” omitting direct accountability.

A BBC journalist reportedly described Berg’s influence as stifling, “Almost every correspondent you know has an issue with him.” Staff complaints about Berg’s conduct have allegedly been ignored by management.

Berg’s ties to these intelligence agencies and his editorial practices raise serious concerns about impartiality in global media. Critics argue that his case is part of a broader pattern of US and "Israeli" influence on international news outlets.