BBC to meet Board president over Chanukah bus attack coverage
BBC director general Tim Davie will speak to Marie van der Zyl in the new year after the broadcaster received 'several hundred' complaints about its report last month.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
BBC director general Tim Davie is to meet Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl to discuss communal anger over a report into the Chanukah bus incident.
Jewish News understands the meeting will take place in the new year.
It comes after the BBC received “several hundred” complaints over a report into incident in London’s Oxford Street last month.
A subsequent BBC News website report suggested Jewish passengers had suffered alleged antisemitic abuse as the celebrated Chanukah in central London.
But the same report alleged the phrase “dirty Muslims” was used by someone on board the bus.
This has been disputed with claims It was actually the phrase iTikra lemishehu, ze dachuf,” in Hebrew meaning: “Call someone, it’s urgent.”
At their meeting the Board president will call on the BBC chief to issue an apology to the community over the report.
Meanwhile the BBC’s complaints unit has been bombarded with complaints from the community over its reporting of the incident.
The exact number of Stage One complaints are not known but sources confirmed to Jewish News the figure was “several hundred.”
The BBC refused to comment.
The Board said they would issue an update later this week.
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