Calls for James O’Brien to be taken off air after anti-Semitic comments
GREATER LONDON, ENGLAND, JUL 23 – James O'Brien apologized for reading a listener's antisemitic claim on LBC, prompting condemnation from Jewish groups and reports to police and media regulators.
- On July 22, 2025, LBC host James O'Brien read a listener's message claiming Jewish children in Hertfordshire are taught hatred towards Arabs on his UK radio show.
- The message accused Jewish schools of teaching that one Jewish life equals thousands of Arab lives and that Arabs are 'cockroaches' to be crushed, allegations widely disputed and deemed libellous.
- After the broadcast, LBC removed the online segment, and on July 23, O'Brien issued an on-air apology, expressing sincere remorse for accepting unsupported allegations without verification.
- Jonathan Ash-Edwards, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, along with the Campaign Against Antisemitism, criticized O’Brien’s broadcast for violating broadcasting guidelines and described it as a contemporary form of blood libel.
- These incidents prompted demands that LBC initiate an independent inquiry and suspend O'Brien, drawing attention to growing concerns about antisemitism and the media’s role in the UK.
15 Articles
15 Articles
James O’Brien apologises over ’antisemitic text’ on radio show
Broadcaster James O'Brien has apologised after reading out a message on his radio show that was slammed as antisemitic by Jewish groups. O'Brien said on Wednesday during his LBC show that he was sorry for reading a text the previous day that claimed that a Jewish school in Hertfordshire taught that "one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed." "At this time yesterday on the show, I read out a m…
UK Radio Station Under Fire After Host Reads Antisemitic Claim
LONDON – LBC, a major British talk radio station broadcasting from its Leicester Square studios in central London, is facing fierce criticism after presenter James O’Brien read out a listener message containing false and offensive claims about Jewish education in the UK. The message alleged that Jewish children are taught to see Arabs as “cockroaches,” […]
James O'Brien issues apology after facing AXE for parroting 'antisemitic' caller: 'I'm genuinely sorry'
James O'Brien has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after sparking serious controversy over an antisemitic comment he read out during a live radio broadcast
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