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Photo: AP
George Galloway
Photo: AP

Former British MP fired by radio station for apparently anti-Semitic tweet

Ex-politician George Galloway remains defiant, threatening to sue talkRADIO for terminating his contract, despite writing on social media 'No Israel flags on the Cup' after Liverpool beat the traditionally Jewish Tottenham Hotspur in Champions League final

Outspoken British critic of Israel and former MP George Galloway was fired from his show on Talk Radio on Tuesday after a tweet about Tottenham Hotspur soccer club that was broadly condemned as anti-Semitic.

 

 

The tweet, ostensibly celebrating Liverpool's victory in the Champions League final against Spurs, said that the win by the northern club meant "No Israel flags on the Cup".

 

Spurs is traditionally seen as a club with strong ties to the London Jewish community.

 

George Galloway  (Photo: AP)
George Galloway (Photo: AP)

 

Galloway later defended his tweet, the BBC reported, arguing that Spurs fans had been waving Israeli flags in the crowd, which showed support for what he called a "racist state."

 

Tottenham itself condemned the tweet, saying in a statement: "It's astounding in this day and age to read such blatant anti-Semitism published on a social platform by someone who is still afforded air time on a radio station on which he has previously broken broadcast impartiality rules."

 

Despite the criticism the former politician - from the Respect Party - remained defiant, implying that he intends to sue the talkRADIO station for terminating his contract. "See you in court guys," Galloway tweeted.

 

"As a fair and balanced news provider, talkRADIO does not tolerate anti-Semitic views,” talkRADIO said in a statement.

 

The 64-year-old’s tweet sparked the ire of many Twitter users and high-profile figures, including the former Tottenham owner - Jewish business magnet, Lord Sugar - who attended Saturday’s final.

 

Tottenham Hotspur with an Israeli flag during the final (Photo: Reuven Schwartz)
Tottenham Hotspur with an Israeli flag during the final (Photo: Reuven Schwartz)

 

“He’s taking a load of garbage as usual. I walked with fifteen hundred Tottenham fans and the Liverpool fans from where they dropped me off because we couldn’t get the car through.

 

“I did not see, and I have never seen, an Israeli flag flown. There were no Israeli flags with the fans,” Sugar said. “The fans had their blue and white stuff but I never saw an Israeli flag flown. He’s a bloody liar. A total liar.”

 

In the past Galloway breached regulations of state media watchdog Ofcom for suggetsing there was no problem with anti-Semitism in the Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, and in 2015 declared Bradford, the northern city in which he was MP at the time, as an “Israel-free zone.”

 

After losing his constituency, Galloway said in his defeat speech. "The venal, the vile, the racists and the Zionists will all be celebrating."

 

In 2010, Galloway went to Gaza as part of an aid delegation to the Palestinian enclave. He turned into a persona non grata in Egypt after he allegedly incited rioting in Arish on his way back from Gaza to London through the Sinai Peninsula.

 

In 2009, Canadian immigration authorities denied him entry to the country due to his support in terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.04.19, 15:32
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