Catholic Times prints letter complaining about 'Jewish voices on the radio'

Publication's editor apologises after Jewish communal bodies say they were 'disgusted' by the 'atrocious' letter

The editor of the Catholic Times has apologised after Jewish communal representatives said they were “disgusted” by the publication of a letter complaining about “a dramatic increase in Jewish voices on the radio”.

Kevin Flaherty issued a written apology on the ‘letters’ page this week, after the Board’s interfaith representative Anthony Silkoff, who described a letter by Antony Porter as “atrocious”.

Porter’s letter protested a Jewish comedian using sexual slang “when there were children around,” leading Silkoff to blast it as “racist drivel”.

Silkoff said: “Why [Porter] thinks it relevant to point out the comedian’s ethnicity is puzzling. As a final flourish, [Porter] juxtaposes these “Jewish voices” with the BBC’s mission statement ‘to enrich people’s lives with programmes that inform, educate and entertain’ – the clear implication being that this mission is endangered by having too many Jews on the radio.”

In his response, Flaherty wrote: “The Catholic Times takes the issue of anti-Semitism very seriously and apologises for any unintended offence to the Jewish community caused by the publication of this letter.”