Home Secretary refuses to criticise Israel over 'thug' Tommy Robinson invite
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said it is not for her to 'dictate' who government ministers of other countries invite amid a backlash from Jewish leaders.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has refused to criticise the Israeli government after they extended a controversial invite to far-right 'thug' Tommy Robinson.
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Speaking to LBC's Lewis Goodall on Sunday, Ms Mahmood refused to criticise the Israeli government's decision to host far-right activist Tommy Robinson, saying it was "not for [her] to dictate" what ministers in foreign government's do.
Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for the diaspora and combating antisemitism, said he was “proud to host British patriot” Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, later this month.
He lauded the far-right activist as a “courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam”.
"Well, it's not for me to dictate what other government ministers in other countries do or say or who they invite," the Home Secretary insisted.
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"I wouldn't expect to be dictated to in terms of anybody that we, the British government, might invite into our country."
It comes as British Jewish leaders criticised Israel's decision to invite “thug” Tommy Robinson to visit Israel.
Discussing the invitation, Ms Mahmood described Robinson as "a corrosive force in our public life", and said she believes that most people "utterly reject what he stands for".
The trip is set to take place in mid-October, amid outrage from the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, which said that Robinson “represents the very worst of Britain”.
The invitation to Robinson was extended in the wake of the terror attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester.
The Jewish leadership groups said Mr Chikli’s actions had hit the British community in its “darkest hour”.
When pressed on her thoughts on the invitation, Ms Mahmood said: "I'm not going to comment on what other ministers in other governments are doing. I know where we stand, where I stand, where the British government stands.
“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… https://t.co/BswfB4mXZ6 pic.twitter.com/LZ1rkPFzOe
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) October 4, 2025
"We have no truck with what this individual stands for. He's a corrosive and malign influence in our politics. And I think the vast majority of people in our country rightly condemn what he stands for and will never allow his view of the world to prevail here in our own country."
When asked whether the government could encourage them not to invite Robinson, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood doubled down, saying: "I'm not going to say more than I have said. It is not for me to dictate to a foreign government who they invite."
"That is for them to explain, not for me. I know where we stand."
The invitation by Israel has been widely criticised as inflammatory, with Former Tory cabinet minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi criticised the move as “irresponsible and deeply dangerous behaviour".
Robinson, who has a record of multiple convictions including assault, fraud, contempt of court and defamation, said Thursday’s attack on a Manchester synagogue “has strengthened my conviction that the United Kingdom and Israel are fighting the same battle—against the scourge of Islamic jihad”.
Robinson's 2025 'Unite the Kingdom' rally in London earlier this year gained considerable attention earlier this year, drawing in more than 100,000 people primarily citing migration concerns.
