LBC presenter apologises over 'obnoxious and antisemitic' Muslim/Robinson video

James O'Brien sorry for liking clip in which Muslim activist says far-right has 'Zionist backers'

The LBC presenter James O’Brien has issued a terse apology for observing “lovely clip”, on Tuesday morning, in reference to a video where a Muslim activist alleges that far-right extremist Tommy Robinson has “Zionist backers” who have “a certain agenda that they’re trying to push”.

The video, apparently filmed in Stoke, opens with a masked man supposedly going to make an attack on a church in the city, in retaliation for attacks on mosques. He then removes the mask and — addressing Robinson by name — says: “Of course we aren’t going to target your church, that’s exactly what you want. You’re trying to push the Muslim community, you’re trying to agitate us, and we’re not going to give it to you”.

The man, who uses the name “Luqman” on social media, asks: “Why is it that you are targeting our mosque, our Muslim women and our Muslim community?” And 29 seconds into the clip, he supplies the answer — “it’s because your Zionist backers have a certain agenda that they’re trying to push”. He rubs his thumb and fingers together in the universally understood sign for money.

O’Brien claims in his response to critics that he alluded to the clip while watching it live in the studio, adding: “I didn’t watch it to the end.” He comments: “Obviously, the reference to ‘Zionist backers’ is obnoxious and antisemitic. My apologies.”

In fact O’Brien did not need to watch the clip until the end because the reference to “Zionist backers” is made less than halfway through. Listeners drew their own conclusions, with one commentator on Twitter/X writing: “As a ‘journalist’ or social commentator, isn’t it your job to make sure you watch until the end before spreading such dangerous rhetoric? Clown.”