The Board of Deputies of British Jews has apologised after a tweet was sent from its official account calling a Jewish journalist an "a******".

The since deleted tweet on Saturday night was in response to journalist Rachel Shabi's comments on Holocaust eduction.

The tweet read: “Rachel Shabi telling the head of the Holocaust Education Trust that she’s plainly wrong about er, the Holocaust, is the definition of chutzpah. The shamelessness of this a******.” (Stars added by the JC).

Late last night there was a tweet issued in error from the Board of Deputies’ Twitter account directed to @rachshabi. This tweet used inappropriate language, for which we unreservedly apologise. The tweet was immediately removed. We have also reached out privately to apologise.

— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) March 12, 2023

Ms Shabi had criticised an opinion piece written by Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, published by The Times.

Ms Pollock has urged people to stop invoking the Holocaust for "anything that we hate or fear, anything that evokes pain and horror, triggering a strong emotional response". It came after football presenter Gary Lineker said that the language being used around the government's immigration legislation is "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s.”

Ms Pollock wrote: "However passionately we feel about important and pressing issues of the day, it seems to me that comparing those current concerns to the almost unimaginable horrors of the Nazi period is wrong. These comparisons are wrong when the point being made is one we agree with, and when it is not.

"The appalling policies and actions of the Nazis took place in a specific period in history, rooted in a time and a place — so I urge caution from everyone when considering reference to this period of history to make any point."

Ms Shabi tweeted in response: "This is plainly wrong. A key tenet of Holocaust education in never again, for anyone. The Holocaust is unique, but 'never again' is universal. Drawing out similarities and parallels is critical and part of the education."

The tweet from the Board of Deputies' account was quickly deleted, but Ms Shabi shared a screenshot and wrote: "Hey @BoardofDeputies do you want to apologise and explain how this happened?”

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The email sent from Board of Deputies Chief Executive Michael Wegier to Deputies on Sunday

On Sunday, the Board, which represents the Jewish community, tweeted an apology, writing: “Late last night there was a tweet issued in error from the Board of Deputies’ Twitter account directed to @rachshabi. This tweet used inappropriate language, for which we unreservedly apologise.

“The tweet was immediately removed. We have also reached out privately to apologise.”

Ms Shabi accepted the apology, but added: “The problem isn’t just the language but the substance of the post. I’m concerned that the person intending to post this on their personal account is responsible for your Twitter account. Can you take action?”

In an email sent to Deputies on Sunday, obtained by the JC, the Board's chief executive Michael Wegier wrote: "We are currently considering a number of different options in order to ensure this does not happen again. Once a decision is made, these will be immediately implemented."

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies declined to share any details on what the options under consideration are, nor the timeframe in which they envisage changes being made.