A contestant from the hit BBC reality show The Traitors has issued a public apology after historical social media comments, in which he compared Israel to Nazi Germany, came to light.
The Offensive Social Media Posts
Marzook Bana, a 59-year-old retired police officer from Preston known as 'Maz' on the show, made the remarks in a Facebook post back in 2021. The father-of-five reportedly wrote that actions at an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank were reminiscent of the Nazis.
In the post, seen by Jewish News, Bana allegedly stated: "Nazis all over again, the oppressed have become the oppressors! The Zionists have short memories of what Hitler did." He continued in the thread, arguing that criticising Israel's treatment of Palestinians was not antisemitic and criticising world leaders for being "subservient to Israel".
Apology and BBC Response
When approached by Jewish News, Bana apologised for the offence caused. "I apologise for any offence my comments may have caused," he said. "I refute any allegations that I am antisemitic. My viewpoint has always been from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political one."
The BBC, which broadcasts the show, told the Mirror it was "completely unaware" of the comments because they were made on third-party accounts. The broadcaster stated clearly: "We do not agree with the views presented."
Production company Studio Lambert, which makes the show for BBC One, confirmed the posts were not discovered during their background checks, which they said are taken "extremely seriously". They explained the comments were on accounts not directly linked to Bana, so evaded their checking process. They emphasised that "political views play no part" in the game.
Calls for Accountability and Further Action
The emergence of the posts has prompted a strong reaction from the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism. The group has criticised the BBC, suggesting it either failed in its due diligence on cast members or saw the posts and ignored them.
They have called for the BBC to air an apology during the next episode of The Traitors, scheduled for Wednesday night at 8pm on BBC One. Furthermore, they have demanded that senior BBC staff responsible for the show's output be questioned by the House of Commons culture select committee.
Bana was the third contestant to be 'murdered' in the current series, which is filmed in a Scottish castle, and was eliminated from the game last week.
