Addressing a committee hearing on Israel’s relations with “extremist political parties with antisemitic roots,” Kariv, a Democrat, slammed what he called hypocritical “attempts by Israeli politicians to prioritise politics over the best interest of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora.
“When this is coming from the person responsible for the relationship with Jewish communities around the world, it’s a disgrace."
Robinson, who founded the English Defence League and has been imprisoned five times in the last 20 years, has largely been warmly received in Israel. On Saturday, he delivered a speech to 1,000 people in Tel Aviv, including Chikli. One man in the audience who heckled Robinson was removed.
A senior foreign ministry representative claimed during the Knesset meeting that, to the best of his knowledge, “the issue of Robinson's visit to Israel was not brought to our attention.”
Kariv said he would ask Chikli, who announced Robinson’s invitation in the wake of the deadly Yom Kippur terror attack in Manchester, whether the ministry financed the trip.
The JC understands that Chikli sponsored the beginning of Robinson’s trip with the flight and accommodation.
Robinson’s visit to the Jewish state has been criticised by British Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council. The bodies released a joint statement describing the activist as a “thug who represents the very worst of Britain”.
“His presence undermines those genuinely working to tackle Islamist extremism and foster community cohesion,” the statement went on, claiming that Chikli was the Diaspora Minister “in name only.”
“In our darkest hour, he had ignored the views of the vast majority of British Jews who utterly and consistently reject Robinson and everything he stands for.”
Following condemnation of his visit, Robinson responded to a comment from hostage activist Heidi Bachram with a social media post calling her a “swine”.
Chikli, for his part, accused the Board of becoming a “political organisation openly aligned with left-wing, woke, pro-Palestinian parties”.
“Once proudly Zionist, now politically adrift,” he said. “If only they showed the same energy attacking Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian terror state as they do attacking me and [Robinson].”
The National Jewish Assembly, however, came to Chikli’s defence, saying it regarded “the insult levied by the Board of Deputies and the JLC against Chikli to be unwarranted, factually incorrect and unhelpful to our community’s relationship with the Israeli government”.
Meanwhile, at a press conference in Israel, Robinson appeared to double down on his comments about the Board.
“The Board of Deputies, who are now attacking me, they’re not attacking me because they’re Jews, they’re attacking me because they’re political establishment figures,” he said, claiming that the Jews who have condemned him all work for British media institutions and “do not represent British Jews”.
Robinson posed with a tank in Israel (Photo: courtesy)[Missing Credit]
Commenting on his trip, Robinson – who was previously asked by Campaign Against Antisemitism not to attend its march against antisemitism – said he had received an “incredibly warm and strong” welcome in Israel.
The activist visited Yad Vashem and the Jabotinsky Institute, as well as the site of the Nova Music festival.
"It’s powerful to see the Jewish nation stand with me as we build relationships with Jewish patriots and conservatives across Europe and the world in our shared opposition to jihadist violence and intimidation,” he said.
