Why I can’t forgive Tommy Robinson

I begin on 12th March 2020 when we showed the film ‘Forced Out’ at London’s Jewish community centre – JW3. It tells the moving stories of some of those people forced out of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party because of antisemitism.

Together with my magnificent team of film maker Andrea Frankenthal; Professor David Hirsh, founder of the London Centre for the study of Antisemitism;  and my husband Ged, I had produced the powerful film. Its launch, at the urging of senior anti Corbyn Labour people, had been before 2019’s General Election.

Simultaneously I published a book, also called ‘Forced Out’, which contains the primary evidence of 32 Labour antisemitism resignation letters, one of which is a group resignation letter from fourteen councillors. The book also contains important background and a timeline.

That March evening at JW3 was overshadowed by fear of the pandemic. The house had been sold out but, despite understandable no shows, around 250 very special people braved it including the panelists. It was our first sighting of hand sanitizers and the next day JW3 closed for the duration.

In the chair was Professor David Hirsh and the panelists were Lord Ian Austin, Lord David Triesman, Fiyaz Mughal OBE and me. Each is a hero but it’s Fiyaz who brings us to far right Islamophobic activist Tommy Robinson.

Robinson has recently been on an official visit to Israel, although currently on trial in London for refusing to hand over his phone password to police under counterterrorism powers. It’s not his first run in with the law.

Fiyaz Mughal has devoted his life to challenging extremism in the Muslim community. He’s the founder of ‘Faith Matters; No2H8 Awards; Muslims against Antisemitism; and ‘Tell Mama’.

Throughout his career Fiyaz has made social cohesion, tackling hate crimes, countering extremism and Jewish/Muslim interfaith work a priority. This commitment has involved him in personal risk and he’s been subjected to horrendous abuse.

Fiyaz recently posted about how sad and disappointed he is that Jewish people are supporting Tommy Robinson. I agree.

Fiyaz Mughal:

Sorry but I have to respond to this.

David Mencer says that the state of Israel is inviting Tommy Robinson to Israel because he ‘fights Islamism’.

Let me get this straight. Someone who wants to see Muslims like me ejected out of the UK much like Idi Amin did to my family in 1971 in Uganda, is being invited to Israel to ‘counter Islamism’.

I have spent 3 decades of my life countering Islamism (a political autocratic interpretation of Islam that is very different to Muslims practicing their faith). These decades have been long, painful, traumatizing and seen me lose many so called friends.

The State of Israel has never invited me. Just for clarity – this is a not a call for the state to invite me – but the narrative of tackling Islamism by inviting Tommy Robinson wholly falls down with what I have outlined.

At the 2020 event Fiyaz explained that Jeremy Corbyn’s legacy would be his failed  attempt to foment dissent amongst minorities by supporting extremists and pitting them against moderates. It was an attempt to divide and rule Jews v Jews;  Muslims v Muslims; and Muslims v Jews.

The atmosphere was febrile. We were fearful of the pandemic but hopeful because just three months earlier Corbyn’s Labour had been swept away in a substantial victory for the Conservatives. We believed (well I did) that for now we’d pushed back the antisemitism. It seemed then that the Corbyn project had been defeated and his plot to divide us had come to nothing.

We know now just how mistaken we were; the subsequent growth of a diabolical combination of hard left and Islamist antisemitism has only one upside: it unites mainstream Jews worldwide.

Robinson is trying to succeed where Corbyn failed. He is dividing Jews from Muslims, and mainstream Jews from each other. Robinson incites his Jewish supporters by insulting Jewish people and organizations who raise skeptical voices.

Non Jewish Robinson is on record as verbally hitting out at Jewish targets, amongst them the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Together with the Jewish Leadership Council they issued a statement calling Robinson:

a thug who represents the very worst of Britain.” They said his invitation to Israel undermines those working to tackle Islamist extremism and promote community cohesion.

Robinson has demonized some of the amazing British Jewish women journalists who dedicate themselves to standing up to antisemitism and who courageously challenge him. On October 4 this year Nicole Lampert Brockman wrote on social media:

This weekend, while I try and catch up on the Oct 7 pieces I’m meant to be writing as well as the fallout from Manchester killings I’m also being trolled by Islamists, the far left and Tommy Robinson.’

Robinson called antisemitism campaigner and hostage family member Heidi Bachram ‘a swine’ and a ‘scumbag’ (sic) apparently for defending the BoD.

On X Robinson used the dog whistle ‘elitist Jew’ as an insult against both the BoD and Nicole.

He deleted the tweets and sort of apologized but some of us saw them and have screenshots. Despite denial from his Jewish supporters I suggest that Robinson’s past, as street fighting founder of the far right Islamophobic English Defense League, intrudes into the present. Robinson has shown that his first impulse is only to support those Jewish people who believe in him and G-d help those of us who don’t.

Robinson exploits existing cracks in the British Jewish community with a cunning unknown to Corbyn. And now, at the invitation of the Israeli far right, Robinson has taken his divide and rule to Israel to exploit its own tragic war torn societal polarization. This is why I can’t forgive him him, just as I can’t forgive Corbyn.

By supporting the splinter antizionist group  JVL, Corbyn actually united mainstream Jews for whom Israel matters. In contrast Robinson is targeting  Jews who hold Israel dear by appearing to support us. I see him as a false friend, but whatever our position, many of us have friends on the other side of the so far implacable Robinson divide and I guess like me are struggling to maintain those relationships. I believe Robinson is dangerous because of the power some of us give him and which he uses to divide us.

Our enemies believe that Jews arguing with each other is a weakness but I believe that handled well it can be a strength. Of course we continue to challenge each other because it’s part of our DNA. Nevertheless we must strive with everything we have to stay strong. Even when we  fundamentally and immovably disagree about Robinson we must remember to do so with respect and love.

Remember that we will always be far more important to each other than Tommy Robinson is or can ever be.