Tim Llewellyn. Photo: Screenshot.

Tim Llewellyn, who served as a reporter in the Middle East for the BBC for almost two decades starting in the 1970s spoke on a panel last week where he claimed that Israel has infiltrated the highest levels of British society in order to implement their agenda.

His comments came while speaking on a panel that was part of the book launch for The Battle for Public Opinion in Europe: Changing Perceptions of the Palestine-Israel Conflict. The event was sponsored by anti-Israel pressure group Middle East Monitor at the University of London’s Senate House. The other members of the panel were Jackie Rowland, an Al Jazeera correspondent, Seumas Milne, associate editor  at The Guardian and Yasmin Alibhai-Browne who writes for The Independent.

Among Llewellyn’s claims were that “The BBC has completely and utterly become feeble and has misreported, in my view; misrepresenting the situation in Israel-Palestine. It has done this maybe because of intense Israeli and pro-Israeli pressure from within this country, from political elements like the Friends of Israel of our three main political parties.” He continued “Also through the higher level of pro-Israel Zionists who are scattered at strategic points throughout the British establishment, throughout British business and among the people whose voices are respected.”

Llewellyn is no stranger to criticizing Israel. In fact, at times he seems obsessively devoted to the cause, as can be judged here and here. In the latter article he explains a suicide bombers motive thusly:

“When suicide bombers attack inside Israel the shock is palpable. The BBC rarely reports the context, however. Many of these acts of killing and martyrdom are reprisals for assassinations by Israel’s death squads, soldiers and agents who risk nothing as they shoot from helicopters or send death down a telephone line.”

It should also be noted that Llewellyn, despite his harsh criticism of the BBC’s handling of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, still collects his pension from the company.