TV presenter and former EastEnders actor Ross Kemp had a starring role in the Manchester UJIA dinner on Monday, which raised more than £600,000 for projects in northern Israel.

Addressing 400-plus guests at the Hilton Deansgate, Mr Kemp recounted the making of his documentaries for Sky on Israel and Gaza, during which he encountered a Palestinian suicide bomber and met Israeli settlers. “There are extremists wherever you go,” he said.

“There are plenty of extremists in Gaza and extremists shouldn’t create the agenda. Most people want to live a peaceful, tranquil life.”

Former senior Israeli government adviser Dr Raanan Gissin also spoke at the dinner, where guests had the opportunity to meet the new UJIA chief executive and national chairman, respectively Michael Wegier and Bill Benjamin.