Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defense League and one of Britain's most polarising figures, has travelled to Israel while awaiting a court verdict in the UK. The far-right activist — known for his anti-Muslim campaigns — was invited by Israel's Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, according to The Guardian. The trip drew swift criticism from British Jewish groups, who called the invitation 'deeply inappropriate'.
Robinson's politics have always revolved around Islam. For over a decade, he's portrayed himself as a defender of Western civilisation under siege — from refugees, from multiculturalism, from what he calls 'Islamisation'. That message, long condemned in Britain as racist and inflammatory, finds a more sympathetic audience in parts of Israel's nationalist right. In a video shared on social media, Robinson praised Israel for what he called its 'strong, patriotic leadership', telling followers he felt 'respected, not silenced' there.
