A leading anti-racism group has challenged BBC bosses to provide evidence supporting the corporation’s claim that one of the Charedi teenagers abused in Oxford Street last week voiced an anti-Muslim slur. 

In a letter to BBC Chairman Richard Sharp and Director General Tim Davie, Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also asked for an explanation why the BBC article on the incident reported the alleged anti-Muslim statement as fact “while the evident antisemitism is caveated as mere allegation”.

The letter also asked the BBC to investigate why it tasked a journalist who has “sought to downplay antisemitism” with “writing an article on antisemitism that appeared to do the same”.

On November 26, 2019, following the Chief Rabbi’s dramatic and courageous intervention expressing his dismay at the treatment of the Jews by the Labour Party, the author of the article, Harry Farley, tweeted: “The Chief Rabbi certainly does not speak for all British Jews. Many I have spoken to, particularly from the Chasidic community, support Jeremy Corbyn.”

The letter also called on the BBC to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

It added: “We once again offer to provide the Corporation with training in how to identify and deal with antisemitism, which will go some way to restoring what little remains of the confidence of the Jewish community in our nation’s public service broadcaster.”

The letter said that the BBC appears to have fed its “unsubstantiated claim” about the anti-Muslim slur to the Metropolitan Police, which assured the corporation that the incident will be looked at “in its entirety.”

CAA added: “This case should be viewed in light of polling that we conducted last year, which revealed that two thirds of British Jews are deeply concerned by the BBC's coverage of matters of Jewish concern, and 55% by its handling of antisemitism complaints. In view of these figures, we trust that you will take these concerns seriously.”

 The BBC has been reached for comment.