James O'Brien now subject to Zionist lobby witch hunt. Whoops.

James O’Brien seems to have fallen foul of the Zionist lobby after reading out a listener’s letter on his LBC show. Listener, Chris, had written to the presenter who read out:

I do think it’s worth saying that these warped views are not just an Israeli problem. My wife was brought up Jewish, and at Shabbat school in a leafy Hertfordshire town, she was taught that one Jewish life is worth 1000s of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed, whilst young children are being taught such hatred and dehumanisation, undoubtedly on both sides, then they will always be able to justify death and cruelty, and it does indeed start young.

O’Brien explained that he was reading the letter out because of his interest in “objectivity.”

Complaints have since flooded in from right-wing media outlets, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews have demanded O’Brien is taken off air. For their part, LBC have removed the online clip of the offending section, and the presenter has apologised:

As with all the texts and messages that I read out on the programme, I did so in good faith, but the message has understandably upset a lot of people, and I regret taking those unsubstantiated claims at face value and am genuinely sorry for that, and it is very important that I get that out there.

The deleted clip can still be seen here:

LBC deleted this. pic.twitter.com/hxxQMiAUTC

— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) July 22, 2025

James O’Brien in for criticism

However, it could well be the case that James O’Brien’s apology is not enough. As mentioned, the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD) were forceful in their criticism:

“@LBC should apologise, and take @mrjamesob off air.” – VP @AndrewGilbert1

See our full statement below 👇 https://t.co/P8zTPeq5nR pic.twitter.com/qqsHf7uN8w

— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) July 22, 2025

The BoD are a notoriously Zionist organisation. In 2020, president Marie van der Zyl said:

he Board of Deputies of British Jews represents the views and interests of the UK Jewish community. In the main, this is a Zionist community and Israel is of central importance to the identity of many of us.

The group have since submitted evidence to the government putting forward their argument that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. And, just last month five elected representatives of the BoD were suspended after criticising Israel’s genocide in Palestine. The Spectator published a strong criticism of O’Brien reading out Chris’ letter, and even said that his apology wasn’t good enough. Jewish News called the choice to read out the letter “antisemitic blood libel.”

I never thought leopards would eat MY face

The furious response of right-wing Zionists is unsurprising. But, after James O’Brien’s attitude towards his former colleague, Sangita Myska, there’s not much sympathy circulating for him. As the Canary reported in 2024, speculation was rife that Myska was fired from LBC over her critiques of Israel’s genocide.

The following clip is thought to have been the offending interview which led to Myska’s departure:

The interview that got Sangita Myska fired.

But don't repost it that would be antisemitism according to James O'Brien.pic.twitter.com/7lgWkjtbYn

— BladeoftheSun (@BladeoftheS) July 23, 2025

Myska tells Avi Hyman, an Israeli government spokesperson, that:

What the Iranians, of course, have said is that this is a retaliatory strike after Israel struck its consulate in Syria. Now we all know that the way diplomacy works is consulates and embassies are considered sovereign territory of the government that is concerned. What Israel did by taking that action against Iran was taken was escalate to what is already an incredibly fragile situation.

Hyman calls her expression of verifiable fact:

an outrageous framing of the reality.

Myska’s remarks are provable: Israel did strike an Iranian consulate, which under international law should have diplomatic immunity from such attacks.

Regardless, she departed from LBC. However, O’Brien insisted that Myska was not fired because of her stance on Israel but implied that it was due to a low level of listeners:

James O’Brien said Sangita Myska being silenced was an “Antisemitic conspiracy.”

Now the Board of Deputies of British Jews is demanding he’s taken off air.
pic.twitter.com/QN2vnTrMxf

— Halima Khan (@HalimaNyomi) July 23, 2025

Karma for James O’Brien?

Now that James O’Brien is facing the Zionist lobby calling for his head, he’s receiving much less sympathy:

“I am setting the record straight, the idea that somebody would be silenced for being critical of Israel during a phone-in is palpably absurd” James O’Brien

“LBC should apologise and take James O’Brien *off air*” https://t.co/ddjHQenile pic.twitter.com/A5fy041KMo

— Samar @TheMJAP (@TheMJAP) July 22, 2025

Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu was even more direct:

Zionist Jews are some of the most intellectually dishonest, hypocritical, disingenuous human waste of space oppressors masquerading as victims that I’ve had misfortune to see on social media. Tantrum with James O’Brien re Shabbat School Call is Caucastic Zionacity personified!☕️ pic.twitter.com/K1vkTBRHAh

— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) July 23, 2025

Evidently, the apology isn’t going to cut it:

I can’t say I’m all that fussed about James O’Brien getting the treatment but it’s illustrative, that even after the apology we’re still seeing this sort of bampottery from the usual suspects. pic.twitter.com/inJLzVi7Ge

— The Gordon Jackson Five 🇵🇸 (@mypalfootfoot7) July 24, 2025

The comparisons to Corbyn also rolled in:

James O’Brien literally accused Corbyn of antisemitism for doing LESS than what he has done now.

Threw his own colleague Sangita Myska under the bus for being gagged.

I honestly think it’s sweet sweet Karma if he is fired from LBC for accusations of antisemitism.

— 2.0 (@blixberrie) July 23, 2025

So much so:

James O'brien coming to the realisation, that no matter how much you feed a monster, eventually it will eat you too. Not an ounce of sympathy for him, an utter cunt who helped to cause this genocide.

— Stevie W (@BankOfAmerica99) July 23, 2025

And, editor of Tribune Magazine Karl Hansen summed up exactly what it means for the BoD to come for O’Brien:

I wouldn’t begrudge anyone the schadenfreude of the Board of Deputies demanding the head of James O’Brien, but it’s still pretty alarming that the Lobby feels bold enough to go after a centrist media darling like him.

— Karl Hansen (@karl_fh) July 23, 2025

Is he wrong?

As delicious as it is to see James O’Brien get a taste of his own medicine, it doesn’t change that he didn’t do anything wrong in reading that letter. As is often the case with Zionists, they may well dispute the content and facts behind the letter. But, the point here is that Zionists are indeed radicalised and indoctrinated with hatred of Arabs.

It takes barely any research at all to find footage of Israeli settlers chanting “death to Arabs.” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has referred to Palestinians as “human animals.” Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes and families with vicious brutality – and the IDF allows it to happen. Netanyahu is not a rogue actor; the state of Israel is fully behind the Zionist ideology that fuels the genocide in Palestine.

These atrocities do not happen in isolation, nor do they happen without a pathway. The letter O’Brien read out pointed to a dehumanisation of Arabs that is vital to the process of Zionist attitudes to Palestine. That dehumanisation is the foundation of Israel’s genocide. No wonder the objections to O’Brien are so vociferous.

Featured image via the Canary