Update: Here are a couple of interesting perspectives from Melanie Phillips and Andrew Roberts.

On the face of it, sending aid to people in Gaza who need it must be a good thing, mustn’t it? The BBC – an organisation renowned for its leftist tilt on life – decided not to  broadcast a Gaza humanitarian appeal on the grounds that its reputation for impartiality would be dented. I’ll repeat that: its reputation for impartiality would be dented.

In fact, it appears that they did this for an entirely different, but nevertheless equally worthy reason: to annoy the play-socialist aristocrat, Tony Benn, one time BBC employee. Here Benn  denounces the BBC with weeping and gnashing of teeth:

Benn’s interviewer questioned whether the aid would actually reach its intended recipients or be diverted to Hamas; a nonplussed Anthony Wedgwood Benn characteristically ignored the question and started spouting propaganda. When pressed, he admited that money could end up going to Hamas – something that he would welcome considering his anti-Israel proclivities.

Those denouncing the BBC are legion, including, naturally, Rowan Williams.

All of which leads me to think that, for a change, the BBC might be doing something right.