I WAS working on Saturday, reporting on the many goings-on of a Huddersfield weekend.

Among the stories I covered was that of a group of young Muslims who were raising money outside Boots on King Street for the war victims of Gaza. There are many people like them, of all religions and none, trying to come to the aid of the innocent victims of the latest Middle Eastern war.

The recent Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has left 300,000 people with no access to running water and thousands of people without a roof over their head.

Often in these desperate situations, television channels help out by screening a short video appeal by an umbrella group called the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Congratulations to ITV, Channel 4 and Five who aired a three-minute piece on Monday asking viewers to donate money to provide desperately needed food, medicine and blankets to the stricken people of Gaza.

And shame on the BBC and Sky News, who have refused to air the appeal on the grounds of "impartiality".

Beeb director general Mark Thompson defended the indefensible by saying: "We concluded that we could not broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully constructed, without running the risk of reducing public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality in its wider coverage of the story."

Perhaps Mr Thompson imagines the video appeal is some sort of Hamas propaganda piece.

And, to be fair to him, the Disasters Emergency Committee does include well-known jihadist groups such as Help the Aged, Save the Children and Christian Aid.

I’ve just watched the film, which shows some of the awful destruction wreaked on Gaza in recent weeks. But, in keeping with the fact that it is a non-political charity appeal, the video goes out of its way not to apportion blame for the misery.

Barely 30 seconds into the piece, the voiceover sombrely explains: "This is not about the rights and wrongs of the conflict - these people simply need your help."

Yet this is obviously not enough for Mr Thompson and his fellow courageous executives in Broadcasting House, who have stood firm in the face of all common sense, and refused to air the video.

The sheer breadth of opposition to the BBC’s position on this is impressive, including the Stop the War Coalition, the National Union of Journalists, dozens of MPs, government ministers and more than 15,000 viewers who have complained about the decision. That’s more of a marquee than a big tent.

Perhaps Mr Thompson should reflect that, even by his own terms, he has failed. Remember that he didn’t want to run the risk "of reducing public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality".

Yet by refusing to air the video he’s done just that. The Beeb does not look "impartial" in this, it looks spinelessly pro-Israel, afraid to air an appeal to help the homeless of Gaza for fear this might offend the very people who made them homeless in the first place.

I worry for the future of the BBC - an organisation which I would unashamedly call a great British institution - if it continues to be led by people with less backbone than a jelly.

I can’t help wondering if the Gaza appeal decision is linked to the general timidity that seems to have overtaken the BBC since Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand mocked a gentle old man last year. It would be a shame if the unwise actions of two not particularly funny men has had such an effect.

If you’re interested, you can donate by visiting www.dec.org.uk or popping in to your nearest post office.

It’s probably not "impartial" of me to tell you how to object to the BBC’s decision not to air the video, but I’m sure you can work it out for yourselves.