CAA joins JC in calling for parliamentary inquiry into BBC
Campaign Against Antisemitism has joined the JC in calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the BBC.
The public petition, launched by the JC, was prompted by growing communal concerns regarding the Corporation.
Polling that we conducted in 2020 for our Antisemitism Barometer revealed that two thirds of British Jews were deeply concerned by the BBC’s coverage of matters of Jewish concern, and 55% by its handling of antisemitism complaints. It is likely that these figures would be even higher if polled today.
The petition highlights the BBC’s appalling coverage of an antisemitic incident on Oxford Street over Chanukah last year, when a group of Jewish teenagers celebrating the festival were accosted by racist thugs who forced them back onto their bus and began hitting the vehicle with their hands and then their shoes, spitting on it, trying to break windows and performing Nazi salutes, as well as shouting antisemitic insults and swearing, as one such example.
In response, Campaign Against Antisemitism announced a “BBC News: Stop Blaming Jews!” protest outside the BBC’s headquarters at Broadcasting House, which was endorsed by Lord Grade and Dame Maureen Lipman.
In addition, the JC also highlighted the BBC’s repeated platforming of the inflammatory broadcaster Abdel Bari Atwan.
In September, Campaign Against Antisemitism announced that we were submitting a complaint to the BBC regarding Mr Atwan’s inflammatory comments.
It was also reported that Mr Atwan defended Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ remark that Israel has committed “50 Holocausts” and his refusal to condemn the 1972 Munich Olympics terror attack on Israeli athletes.
In 2007, Atwan is reported to have said: “If Iranian missiles strike Israel, by Allah, I will go to Trafalgar Square and dance with delight.” In 2010, it is claimed that Atwan told an audience at the London School of Economics that “the Jewish lobby… [is] endangering the whole world”.
Earlier this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism visited Broadcasting House to tell the Corporation to “switch off the Jew-hate”.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The BBC’s handling of its coverage of the attack on Jewish children last Chanukah and its platforming of various deeply concerning individuals are among recent examples of the failure to fix the BBC’s problem with the Jewish community. That is why we have been at the forefront of efforts to hold the BBC to account and why we are joining with the JC on this important initiative. As a publicly funded organisation, the BBC should welcome Parliamentary scrutiny of its poor performance.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].
