LONDON: An Israeli minister has been criticized for inviting far-right UK figure Tommy Robinson to visit the country.
Members of the UK’s Jewish community condemned the move, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council branding him “the very worst of Britain.”
Robinson has been invited by Israel’s minister for the diaspora and combating antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, as a “courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam.”
The invitation, which Robinson has accepted, was extended in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester that left two people dead this week.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council criticized the invite as coming in the community’s “darkest hour.”
In a statement, they said: “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.”
The decision drew criticism from other sections of UK society. The first Muslim woman to serve in a Cabinet role, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, wrote on X: “The Israeli Minister inviting Tommy Robinson, a man with multiple convictions for violence and fraud to Israel in response to the horrific Manchester attack. Let that sink in.
“At a time all communities in the UK are uniting to support our Jewish community as they grieve, the state of Israel is sowing division in our country, supporting and promoting those that platform hate and making our country unsafe.
“It’s time for all right thinking people to call out this irresponsible and deeply dangerous behaviour from Israel.”
Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, said: “Tommy Robinson is a voice of prejudice and division. There should be cross-party and multi-faith pressure on the Israeli government to withdraw its invitation.
“Most British Jewish voices have consistently been clear that they reject Robinson’s bogus claim to be an ally of their community. It is important that we hear that again now.”
Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, has been jailed in the past for contempt of court after being sued for libel by a Syrian refugee, as well as for jeopardizing a trial in 2019. He is currently facing trial for harassing journalists.
Last month, he organized a rally in central London that drew as many as 150,000 attendees and prompted more than 150 reports of anti-Muslim hate to the charity Tell Mama.
