RACIST BLOG WITHDRAWN FROM BBC MESSAGE BOARD FOLLOWING PROTEST FROM BOARD OF DEPUTIES

LONDON – (19 Month 2007) - A viciously anti-Jewish posting was finally removed from the BBC Radio 5 Live message board after correspondence was exchanged between the Board of Deputies of British Jews and senior BBC management.

The posting, by a regular contributor 'Iron Naz', was made in a thread responding to Richard Littlejohn's Channel 4 programme highlighting the prevalence of antisemitism 'The War against Britain's Jews?' and stated

"Zionism is a racist ideology where jews are given supremacy over all other races and faiths.

This is found in the Talmud.

There is a law called Baba Mezia which allows jews to lie as long as its to non-jews. many pro jewish supporters will cringe at this being exposed because they know it exists, yet they keep quiet about it, hey frip, jla and co

The Law of Baba Mezia!! Tsk tsk tsk! Its in the Talmud."

After numerous complaints, including by the CST, the posting was briefly removed but then reappeared after the BBC's 'Communities Team' decided that it did not contravene House Rules.

Commenting, Jon Benjamin said "It is astonishing and a profound concern that a post of this nature is deemed to be acceptable and in no way in contravention of the rule that prohibits ‘unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, racially offensive or otherwise objectionable material’. The allegation that Jewish teaching permitted Jews to deal dishonestly with non-Jews seems clearly to breach quite a number of these rules, as does the suggestion that Zionism is a racist ideology."

"This particular posting has been removed, but the episode reveals a worrying mindset that can even countenance that this kind of comment is deemed an appropriate contribution to a reasoned debate. The Community Security Trust were quick to pick this up and their measured intervention should have resolved the issue. It is particularly troubling that the trigger for this, a programme about the prevalence of antisemitism was carried, significantly, not by the BBC, but by another channel."

The Board of Deputies is the representative body of the British Jewish Community.