George Galloway made me a Zionist

He responded telling Chambers we did not accept it was libel as the law entitles people to express honestly held opinions. We waited but we heard… nothing. No writ was ever issued. Libel is time limited to a year which has now passed. Galloway can no longer bring an action against me. I am free at last to talk openly about this.

Getting that letter from Galloway's solicitors, sent originally in an email which I received at 10pm on a Monday night, was the most terrifying thing that's ever happened to me. This menacing demand for a great deal of money I simply didn't have felt like an attack. I thought I'd lose my house. The letter warned that a charge could be put on my property and bankruptcy proceedings brought. For a year, this hung over me and my fellow Twitter "tortfeasors". One of them, who still wishes to remain anonymous, set up a Twitter account @SuedbyGalloway to offer help and support to those who'd received these letters. Several barristers and solicitors offered advice. A movement began and grew.

We got in touch with each other, exchanged emails, tweets, private messages, phone calls and texts. A number of those threatened were also Jewish, though not everyone was. But we all felt outraged at being targeted by a then sitting MP. We became friends. We've remained friends. I felt part of a community again, albeit an online one. Never underestimate the power of connection and communication the internet can offer to people scattered all over the country. Friendships made in adversity are often the ones that last the longest. We have a bond now; we turned a nasty negative into a warm positive.

My father had warned me that although I could try to forget I was Jewish if I wanted to, move away from the faith if I could, the world would never let me forget that I'm a Jew. Seeing a fellow Jew threatened with legal action by Galloway on Twitter last year sent my hackles skywards. You attack one Jew - you attack us all.

For being Jewish isn't just about going to shul every week, keeping kosher or praying. It's always been about much more. It was a horrible experience having this threat hanging over. Not something I wanted for myself in later middle age, a time I could've expected to wind down and relax a little.

But there's nothing like a touch of tsores to bring out the strength you didn't know you had. I told no one in my family about this as I didn't want them to worry. That was tough. Now this dark shadow has lifted from my life there is light, relief and joy. And a feeling I know many other Jews have: I will get to Israel before I die.