The JC is launching a public online petition today demanding a parliamentary inquiry into the BBC’s coverage of Jews and Israel.
The move comes after a string of controversial stories by the BBC caused concern in the Jewish community — followed by BBC responses that only deepened that concern.
This week, the BBC admitted unfairly criticising Israel in a report on the beheading of a gay Palestinian by other Palestinians. And six weeks ago, an open letter to BBC Director-General Tim Davie demanding impartiality on Jewish issues was ignored.
Delivered in September, the landmark letter was signed by politicians from both Labour and the Conservatives, from both houses of Parliament, with Jewish groups and public figures.
It also requested the corporation to stop repeatedly hosting Abdel Bari Atwan, an Islamist pundit who has frequently praised terrorism.
Its 36 signatories included former Tory leader Lord (Michael) Howard, the government’s former terror czar Lord (Alex) Carlile and former BBC governor Baroness (Ruth) Deech, as well as historians Simon Sebag Montefiore and the newly-ennobled Andrew Roberts and playwright Steven Berkoff.
“We urge you urgently to take cogent and coherent steps to rectify this worrying trend across your platforms as a matter of the utmost urgency, and look forward to your swift confirmation that this is being done,” the message said.
But the BBC has not replied. At the beginning of September, a BBC spokesperson told the JC: “We’ll get something to you in due course.” There has been no further communication.
It followed the BBC’s contested coverage of an attack on Jewish youngsters on Oxford Street last Chanukah, which reported as fact the disputed allegation that the victims had used a racial slur. The BBC’s reaction to complaints triggered an ongoing probe by Ofcom.
The JC has also repeatedly exposed apparent anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s Arabic output, including a significant investigation last year.
The JC petition calling for a parliamentary inquiry — which would call witnesses and issue a final report — is backed by Mr Berkoff, actress Tracy-Ann Oberman and influential literary agent Neil Blair, who represents JK Rowling. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also supports it. The Chief Rabbi’s office has raised the matter with Tim Davie, the JC understands.
A CAA spokesperson said: “The BBC has shown a failure to fix its problem with the Jewish community. As a publicly funded organisation, the BBC should welcome parliamentary scrutiny of its poor performance.”
