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Monday, 24 September 2012

Jeremy Bowen's Rosh Hashonah Twitter Q&A

I've just been checking my records and I found that I never received an acknowledgement of my complain from the BBC re this matter.

This matter is something that I feel really deeply about so I have lodged another complaint, just in case the BBC have 'lost' the original.


Your Complaint

Type of complaint: BBC News (TV Radio Online)
What is your complaint about: BBC News Online
URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19601920
Complaint category: Bias
Contacted us before: Yes
Reason for contacting us again: Haven't received a response yet
Reference:
Complaint title: Jeremy Bowen holding Twitter Q&A on Rosh Hashonah
Complaint description:
The BBC's Middle East Editor, Jeremy Bowen, held a Twitter Q&A on Monday 17 September. This day was the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashonah, one of the 'high holy days' when all religious, and most only slightly religious, Jews spend the day in prayer at synagogue and this are not available to participate in such social media exercises. How could your BBC Middle East Editor hold a Q&A on a day when Jews in Britain would be unable to participate? I queried Jeremy Bowen about this and found his response quite offensive - 'yes I did know it was Jewish New Year. And I also know it doesn't stop quite a few Jews using social media!'. That is not an acceptable comment, the vast majority of Jews could not participate on a Q&A held on Rosh Hashonah and Jeremy Bowen admitted that he knew it was Rosh Hashonah. This is discrimination, plain and simple. Jeremy Bowen's anti-Israel bias is well known and indeed confirmed by the Editorial Standards Committee of the BBC Trust who published a report into three complaints about him in April 2009. The Editorial Standards Committee upheld three complaints against Jeremy Bowen on grounds of accuracy and impartiality. On Yom Kippur (the holiest day in the Jewish calendar) in 1973 the armies of Egypt & Syria, with support from elsewhere, attacked Israel, deliberately choosing the day when they hoped Israel's defences would be at their weakest. Is Jeremy Bowen simply following anti-Israel tradition?

Oddly I have yet to receive a response from the BBC with the all important Case Number, why not?

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