The Apprentice: Candidate Dr Asif Munaf apologises for 'any offence caused' over Israel tweets

A candidate on the new series of The Apprentice has apologised and received "specialist training" over posts he made on social media about Israel and Zionism. Asif Munaf, a former-NHS doctor from Sheffield posts included remarks on the Hamas invasion of Israel, Zionism, Islam and masculinity.

The wellness brand owner who has also appeared on BBC One show Dragons’ Den, is a candidate in The Apprentice season 18, which is due to return to BBC One tonight (February 1) and is competing to be Lord Alan Sugar's next business partner. It is reported that after his social media posts were discovered Munaf has had numerous conversations with HR and was spoken to by producers so he could "understand why his posts may cause offence". So, what exactly did his posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, say?

What did Dr Asif Munaf say on social media?

Last year Munaf posted on X that Zionists were, "a godless, satanic cult", and said of his children: “I pray they are strong enough physically, spiritually and psychologically to overcome the trial of the Zionist antichrist.”

Reported by Metro, he had also allegedly promoted the University of Masculinity account on X, an account which has previously shared posts from Andrew Tate and allegedly commented, "have you ever met a beautiful feminist?" in a video posted on Instagram called Don’t Trust What Women Say.

Has Dr Asif Munaf apologised?

Following the Tweets coming to light, Munaf has released a statement where he apologised "for any offence caused" and denied allegations of antisemitism on X. His statement reads: "I apologise for any offence caused by my online content/social media. It was not my intention to offend anyone, and I am of course open to all views. The beliefs I hold and have shared are based on the values that I was brought up with."

Munaf is one of 18 candidates on the latest season of The Apprentice, which is due to air on BBC One tonight. He has previously appeared on Dragon's Den, where he asked for a £50,000 investment for a 10% stake in his company Date Smoothie.

What has The Apprentice said about Dr Asif Munaf's tweets?

In a statement, a spokesperson for The Apprentice said: "After filming had taken place, we were made aware of concerns over social media posts that Asif had made after he had left the process. As soon as we were alerted, we took immediate action and spoke to Asif in detail on this.

"Asif took part in specialised training to understand why his posts may cause offence. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment on and off screen."

The BBC published new social media guidance in September 2023 which said that employees must not bring the corporation "into disrepute". Lord Sugar along with Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker, face additional requirements including having "expectations on impartiality". This means they are not allowed to criticise political parties or the character of UK politicians.