The BBC has acknowledged that it was initially “unaware” of a social media post by a participant from The Traitors, which controversially compared Israel to Nazi Germany, prior to his debut on the show.

On Tuesday, the broadcaster issued an apology to its audience following reports that Marzook Bana, known as ‘Maz’ on the program, made the remarks on Facebook back in 2021.

The contentious post, as reported, involved equating a checkpoint in the West Bank with Nazi actions and accusing Zionists of “forgetting the Holocaust.”

Bana, a 59-year-old father of five and a retired police officer from Preston, Lancashire, allegedly made these comments under a photo depicting an Israeli checkpoint, as noted by Jewish News.

The publication cited him writing, “Nazis all over again; the oppressed have become the oppressors! The Zionists have short memories of what Hitler did.”

In a continuation of the discussion, Bana reportedly asserted that criticizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is not antisemitic and criticized “the world’s political leaders” for being overly compliant with Israel.

The BBC admitted that they were ‘unaware’ of a social media post by The Traitors contestant Marzook Bana comparing Israel to Nazi Germany ahead of his show debut

The broadcaster apologised to viewers on Tuesday after it was reported that Bana, who was known as ‘Maz’ on the show, had made the comments on Facebook in 2021

Bana, who left Ardross Castle last week as the third person to be murdered by the Traitors, issued an apology via the publication, insisting it has ‘never been his intention to offend, marginalise or discriminate against any individual or group.’

He added: ‘I apologise for any offence my comments may have caused. I refute any allegations that I am antisemitic. My viewpoint has always been from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political one.’

Studio Lambert, who are behind the production of the popular BBC One show, admitted that the the comments were not uncovered during background checks, which they insisted were taken ‘extremely seriously’. 

The company added: ‘The comments referenced in the article were made on third-party accounts rather than the individual’s own, so could not be identified through our checking process. 

‘We wish to be clear that political views play no part in participation, selection or decision-making within the game. And of course, the content of The Traitors is not political.’

The BBC also issued a statement to Metro, stating: ‘We were completely unaware that these comments had been posted on social media, due to the fact they were made on third-party accounts.

‘We do not agree with the views presented.’

Since the social media comments emerged, charity organisation Campaign Against Antisemitism has called out the BBC to take accountability at a senior level.

It was reported he had written: ‘Nazis all over again, the oppressed have become the oppressors! The Zionists have short memories of what Hitler did.’

Bana, 59, a father-of-five and retired police officer from Preston, Lancashire, wrote the comments under an image of an Israeli checkpoint, according to Jewish News

The campaign group issued a statement that hit out against the broadcaster for ‘either doing no due diligence’ on the series’ cast members, or ‘finding these posts and not batting an eyelid’. 

It called for an apology to be aired during an episode of The Traitors, which is due to return tonight (Wednesday), and for senior BBC staff responsible for the output of the show to be question by the House of Commons culture select committee. 

Daily Mail has contacted the BBC for comment. 

It comes after the BBC hit a fresh crisis as more than 200 Jewish staff accused the corporation’s Board of ‘ignoring’ their pleas for an investigation into alleged anti-Semitism at the broadcaster. 

Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch described it as a ‘shameful failure of leadership’ that the BBC had ‘ignored complaints’ of racism and bias as she called on the BBC Board to ‘intervene to restore trust’. 

Nigel Farage said the revelations mean that the future of the licence fee is now in doubt. 

He said: ‘The allegations against the BBC over bias are worsening by the day. The licence fee is now in serious question.’ 

More than 200 Jewish staff, contractors, suppliers and contributors wrote to BBC chairman Samir Shah in July 2024 asking for an urgent formal investigation by the BBC Board into ‘systemic problems of anti-Semitism and bias at the BBC, alongside senior management’s demonstrable failure to properly address the issue’. 

It comes as Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, described it as a ‘shameful failure of leadership’ that the BBC had ‘ignored complaints’ of racism and bias 

Tim Davie (pictured) resigned as the BBC’s director general over a Trump documentary edit 

Attached to the letter was a report titled ‘Being Jewish and working at the BBC’ which included testimony from staff who argued the corporation was no longer ‘a safe space to be Jewish’. 

The same staff members wrote again to the BBC Board on Friday, accusing it of ignoring their pleas and offering ‘words not action’ after a gap of more than a year. 

Current and former Jewish staff – including producer Leo Pearlman, former ITV head of entertainment Claudia Rosencrantz, former BBC executive Danny Cohen and present employees – are signatories to the letter. 

They said: ‘Despite being presented with documentary evidence of an anti-Jewish bias within the BBC, among BBC news and current affairs specifically, this basic request went unheeded. 

‘We are still a minority with a simple entreaty to the BBC Board: the BBC’s repeatedly substantiated anti-Jewish racism has now been ‘Called Out’ – who will be held accountable?’ 

A representative for the signatories told the Mail: ‘We drew all this to the BBC’s attention over a year ago and since then we continue as Jews to be ignored, gaslit and at worst smeared as a ‘lobby’. 

‘We have been told that the BBC was committed to impartiality and fairness and yet this is demonstrably not the case.

‘The BBC needs to live up to its values. This would never happen to any other minority. 

Last Thursday’s episode of The Traitors saw Maz become the latest contestant to fall afoul of the Traitors, as he was murdered face-to-face

The father-of-five was left in a cage overnight alongside Sam, Reece and Traitor Stephen, with Claudia Winklemanrevealing that one of them would be killed

‘It is racism. The BBC has failed to deal with this fundamental problem from the very top. We are calling for real action and accountability, not more hollow words.’ 

It follows allegations in an internal report, written by a former editorial adviser Michael Prescott, that the BBC had a systemic anti-Israel bias in its coverage of the Gaza conflict. 

Tory leader Mrs Badenoch told the Daily Mail: ‘It is indefensible that the BBC ignored complaints of anti-Semitism and bias from more than 200 of its own staff and contributors for nearly 18 months. 

‘This is a shameful failure of leadership. These were not isolated errors. They were repeated editorial failures under the supervision of [CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs] Deborah Turness. 

‘Turness has presided over multiple serious editorial failures, from the Panorama ‘fake news’ documentary on President Trump, to the Gaza broadcast that repeated Hamas propaganda. 

‘The BBC’s duty is to report truthfully and impartially, not to provide cover for extremists or smear Israel with falsehoods. A public service broadcaster cannot allow anti-Semitism or bias to infect its journalism. 

‘The BBC Board must now intervene to restore trust and ensure that accountability begins where the failures occurred – in BBC news itself.’ 

Elsewhere, Bana became the third contestant to be ‘murdered’ by the Traitors as the new series of the popular reality show continued last week. 

The three hooded Traitors, Stephen, Rachel and Fiona, then made their menacing arrival and revealed their identities at last to Maz

The father-of-five was left in a cage overnight alongside Sam, Reece and Traitor Stephen, with Claudia Winkleman revealing that one of them would be killed.

Sam and Stephen were the first two to be released, leaving just Reece and Maz at risk, with the Reece admitting: ‘I hate that this is me and you’.

The three hooded Traitors, Stephen, Rachel and Fiona, then made their menacing arrival and revealed their identities at last to Maz.

The stunned Faithful couldn’t hold back his shock at the revelation, admitting he had his doubts about Stephen, but would never have suspected Rachel and Fiona, the latter of which he said had been his friend.

Sharing a condemnation of the pair after they announced he had been murdered, he said: ‘I would’ve believed Stephen, but you two let me down badly.’

In his confessional afterwards, Maz admitted he couldn’t believe who the Traitors were and that he was ‘gutted’ to be going home.

He said: ‘Oh my god, I could swear but I won’t. Rachel is playing a fantastic game, she’s completely going under the radar.

‘And Fiona… We were good friends, everyone knew we were and all the while she was planning to kill me.’

He went on: ‘The fact they had to murder me, I must’ve unnerved them, or even scared them a little bit. But I’m gutted my journey stops here.’

The Traitors continues tonight at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.