Recent events in the UK, most notably the attack on a synagogue in Manchester, have created a charged and fragile atmosphere. It is therefore all the more reckless for Israel to extend an olive branch to Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), a man with a long history of bigotry, criminality, and provocation. That this invitation comes now is no coincidence. It is a signal, a declaration of whose battles Israel wants to fight, and with whom. This decision is deeply inappropriate and should concern anyone who values justice, pluralism, and alliances grounded in principle rather than convenience.
On 2 October 2025, gun and knife violence struck the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, killing two worshippers and injuring others. The attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, was shot dead by police and is believed to have been motivated by extremist Islamist ideology. This brutal assault on a synagogue during Yom Kippur horrified the nation, deepening fears within Jewish communities about safety and the resurgence of antisemitism.
But this attack cannot be viewed in isolation. Only days earlier, a mosque in Brighton was subjected to an arson attack, an incident that barely registered in the mainstream press and, tellingly, was not described as terrorism. Both events expose a deeply troubling reality: faith communities across Britain are being targeted, their sacred spaces turned into battlegrounds of hate. Whether Jewish or Muslim, no one should ever have to fear gathering to pray. The UK is nursing wounds of grief, mistrust, and vigilance. At such a moment, when communities are desperate for calm leadership and compassion, Israel’s decision appears not only tone-deaf but dangerously divisive.
In times of communal trauma, every gesture matters. Political leaders, faith institutions, and states alike must tread carefully, recognising that their choices send powerful signals about who is seen as an ally and who is cast as a threat. That is why it is heartening that organisations such as the Jewish Leadership Council have spoken out against this invitation. Communities already living with fear will interpret gestures like this not as acts of solidarity but as provocations. Inviting a figure like Yaxley-Lennon at this moment is far from neutral. It is loaded with meaning, and none of it benign.
Yaxley-Lennon’s record speaks for itself. He has multiple criminal convictions, including for contempt of court and fraud. He was imprisoned for his actions and has built a public persona on anti-Muslim hostility, aggression, and inflammatory rhetoric. As founder of the English Defence League, he normalised extremist discourse under the false banner of “protecting Britain from Islamism.” His rallies frequently descended into violence and arrests. He is not a moderate, not a bridge-builder, and certainly not a voice for peace.
By publicly associating with Yaxley-Lennon, Israel elevates a man widely recognised as a purveyor of hate. Even within Jewish circles and among Israel’s traditional allies, the move has been condemned. As LBC reported, “Britain’s Jewish leaders slam Israel over ‘thug’ Yaxley-Lennon invite.” Israel’s Diaspora Minister has defended the decision, saying it seeks to “strengthen bonds with allies who refuse to be silent.” But that language carries dangerous implications. It legitimises Yaxley-Lennon’s worldview and situates Israel alongside hard-right, confrontational voices. In doing so, it entangles Israel in domestic British divisions and undermines its own moral standing.
Israel often portrays itself as a democracy under threat, a nation that champions tolerance and resists extremism. Yet by embracing someone whose rhetoric has inspired division and hostility, it weakens its credibility. The faces a state chooses to amplify reveal where its loyalties lie. In this case, the message is unmistakable.
While the Manchester synagogue attack has rightly dominated headlines, it must not obscure the broader pattern of religiously motivated hatred now spreading through Britain. The Brighton mosque arson, largely ignored by mainstream outlets, is a chilling reminder that Islamophobia continues to scar our social fabric. To extend an invitation to Yaxley-Lennon in such a climate is to ignore the pain of Muslim communities already demonised and attacked. It sends the message that some victims deserve empathy and others do not, that antisemitic terror is “terrorism,” while anti-Muslim violence is merely “arson” or “extremism.” This double standard is corrosive. It breeds alienation, fuels resentment, and reinforces the idea that certain lives are more worthy of protection than others.
Israel, which claims moral authority in its fight against hatred, should be especially careful not to mirror such hierarchies. Instead of platforming an agitator, it could have extended genuine solidarity to British Jews through diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and support for community safety. It could have encouraged unity between faiths by amplifying the voices of British Jewish and Muslim leaders who work daily to bridge divides. It could have used its influence to call for compassion and calm rather than importing polarisation from one conflict into another.
The alternative was clear: to stand with communities, not ideologues, to promote healing, not hostility. Yet Israel has chosen the opposite, and in doing so, it risks alienating the very people it claims to support. Muslim communities in the UK, already under pressure and often unfairly linked to global conflicts, may feel even more marginalised by Israel’s actions. Within the Jewish community too, there will be unease and division, between those who see Yaxley-Lennon’s support as validation and those who are appalled that their safety is being used as a political pawn.
Inviting Yaxley-Lennon under the guise of solidarity is not diplomacy, it is a political statement. It says far more about who Israel considers its friends and enemies than about any genuine commitment to combating hate. In times of pain and violence, leaders are tested not by whom they can provoke, but by whom they can unite.
If Israel truly wishes to support British Jewry, it should extend hands of peace, not applaud those who thrive on division. Real courage lies in championing voices that heal, not amplifying those that harm.
Soulful Spaces 