Jewish radio closed by Galloway insult case

London's only Jewish radio station has been forced to close after it was sued by Respect MP George Galloway for implying he was anti-Semitic.

Jcom, a not-for-profit station which broadcasts online to a small part of north-west London, lost a High Court libel case and was told to pay £15,000 damages and court costs thought to total £5,000.

Mr Galloway sued the station after its presenter, Richard Malach, "spoofed" the Bethnal Green and Bow MP in November. Mr Malach created the character "Georgie Galloway" whom he described as the station's "Middle East correspondent", and who used the catchphrase: "Kill the Jews, kill the Jews." He was immediately sacked and was called "young and inexperienced" by the station.

Only 36 people had been listening at the time of the broadcast. An apology was issued on the station's website and the MP was invited on to the station but he said it "fell short of the categorical retraction of the imputation of anti-Semitism that I insisted upon".

He said that the High Court judgment "categorically crushed the slur of anti-Semitism".

Head of Jcom, Jeremy Silverstone, said the case had caused the downfall of London's only Jewish radio station.

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