Tommy Robinson Israel Visit Sparks Outrage Among UK Jewish Leaders

Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli announced on Friday that he has invited far-right activist Tommy Robinson to visit the Jewish state later this month, hailing him as a "courageous leader" against radical Islam in the wake of the deadly Yom Kippur terror attack on a Manchester synagogue.

The invitation, extended "on behalf of the State of Israel," comes just one day after Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, rammed his vehicle into worshippers at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, killing Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, and injuring four others. Al-Shamie, who was out on bail for an alleged rape charge, was shot dead by police after attempting to stab additional congregants.

Chikli, a Likud MK known for his sharp critiques of left-wing diaspora groups and the UK Labour government's policies on antisemitism and Palestinian statehood, posted on X: "In the wake of the horrific Manchester terrorist attack, Israel and the Jewish people stand firmly with our allies in the United Kingdom... Tommy is a courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam. He has proven himself a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people, unafraid to speak the truth and confront hate."

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who founded the anti-Islam English Defence League, quickly accepted the offer. In a post on X, he outlined plans to visit Jerusalem, the West Bank, the site of the October 7, 2023, Nova Festival massacre, Yad Vashem Holocaust center, the Jabotinsky Institute, and Christian holy sites, immediately following his October 13 contempt of court trial.

"The Manchester attack has strengthened my conviction that the United Kingdom and Israel are fighting the same battle, against the scourge of Islamic jihad," Robinson wrote, adding, "If Israel falls, we all fall." The Israeli government will cover his flights and accommodations.

The decision has drawn swift and scathing condemnation from Britain's leading Jewish organizations, who accused Chikli of betraying the community at its most vulnerable moment.

In a joint statement shared on X and amplified by outlets including Jewish News and the Jewish Chronicle, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council declared: "Tommy Robinson is a thug who represents the very worst of Britain. His presence undermines those genuinely working to tackle Islamist extremism and foster community cohesion. Minister Chikli has proven himself to be a Diaspora Minister in name only. In our darkest hour, he has ignored the views of the vast majority of British Jews who utterly and consistently reject Robinson and everything he stands for."

Chikli fired back on Saturday, accusing the Board of Deputies of transforming into a "political organization, openly aligned with left-wing, woke, pro-Palestinian parties."

Prominent voices echoed the fury. Former Conservative co-chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi decried the "deeply dangerous behavior" as sowing division among British Jews, while Fabian Society director Sunder Katwala warned of the risks in elevating a figure with Robinson's record. Robinson, a former British National Party member, has multiple convictions for assault, fraud, and contempt, including a 2018 prison term.

Interfaith and anti-racism advocates, quoted in The National and New Arab, labeled the invitation an "alarming alignment" between Israel and a "fascist provocateur," questioning the wisdom of Jerusalem's diaspora outreach amid surging European antisemitism.

On X, reactions ranged from supportive posts praising Robinson's warnings on Islamist threats to widespread condemnation, with one viral thread from a citizen investigator framing the backlash as elite discomfort with uncomfortable truths.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel is set to attend a Conservative Party event in Manchester on Sunday, but no official response has come from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on the controversy. For Britain's Jews, reeling from the bloodiest attack on their community since October 7, the gesture from Jerusalem, intended as solidarity, has instead reopened wounds.