Board of Deputies president met BBC director general to discuss antisemitism rift
Marie van der Zyl revealed she sat down with Tim Davie to raise concerns over the broadcaster's coverage of the community, including the Chanukah bus incident in Oxford Street
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has revealed she has met with BBC director general Tim Davie to discuss the on-going rift over its reporting of communal issues – including the now infamous coverage of the Chanukah bus incident in Oxford Street.
At Sunday’s Board plenary, the President confirmed: “On Tuesday the 18th of January we did have a meeting with the director general Tim Davie and other senior BBC executives.
“We have strongly advocated our position over the BBC’s misreporting of the Oxford Street attack.
“We have subsequently engaged in further correspondence with the director general about the antisemitic attack.”
The President also said the Board expected to hear back from the BBC “this week” and that she would provide more details to Deputies as soon as the response came.
“It is most important to get the right result,” she added.
The BBC had sparked fury following its reporting of an antisemitic incident on Oxford Street on November 29, with video showing a group of men hurling abuse and spitting at a group of Jewish teenagers sitting inside a bus.
The incident was treated as a hatecrimeby police, but in its original report, BBC News said ‘racial slurs about Muslims could be heard inside the bus’.
The Board said an audio expert had proven that alleged “slurs” from the passengers was in fact Hebrew being spoken.
The BBC say Hebrew speakers confirm their reporting to be correct.
The website story, and a BBC London report, attracted hundreds of complaints from the Jewish community.
BBC chiefs have said the issue has been passed to an independent standards authority for review.
The Board have threatened to take the issue to Ofcom is the BBC fail to apologise.
Last Wednesday Jewish News revealed Lord Mann had also met with BBC Director General Tim Davie to discuss the simmering row over coverage of antisemitism issues by the broadcaster.
In a near one-hour long meeting, which took place at BBC Broadcasting House on Wednesday, it is understood that Lord Mann expressed “major concerns” about the reporting of issues affecting the Jewish community by the channel’s outlets.
It is understood Mann raised the BBC website and BBC London reporting of the Chanukah bus antisemitic threats incident, which took place last November in Oxford Street.
He is also believed to have raised further concern over reporting of last weekend’s Texas synagogue hostage incident – including a BBC News at 10 broadcast that failed to mention the word “antisemitism” in connection with the siege at the Colleyville synagogue.
Sources said Davie was keen to listen to the concerns raised by Mann, who also stressed how an incident such as last weekend’s synagogue siege in Texas raised concerns amongst Jewish communities worldwide.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.