Diaspora minister trashes UK’s main Jewish group, amid row over far-right activist

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, on X, lashes out at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which together with the UK’s Jewish Leadership Council, condemned him for inviting far-right, anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson to Israel.

The two organizations are the main representative groups for Jews in the UK.

“The Board of Deputies has, regrettably, become first and foremost a political organization – openly aligned with left-wing, woke, pro-Palestinian parties,” Chikli writes.

“Just hours after Jews were murdered in Manchester, instead of demanding protection or holding the government accountable, the Board rushed for a photo-op” with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer,  he alleges, referring to the deadly terror attack Thursday on a synagogue, as congregants were gathered for the Yom Kippur holy day.

Chikli continues: “Once proudly Zionist, now politically adrift, If only they showed the same energy attacking Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian terror state as they do attacking me and [Tommy Robinson].”

The Board of Deputies — together with the Jewish Leadership Council — issued a statement after the attack Thursday, in which they “call[ed] on all those in positions of power and influence to take the required action to combat hatred against Jewish people.”

The groups said they would “be working with the authorities on a series of additional measures to protect our community over the coming days.”

Both groups are vocally pro-Israel, campaigning for the release of the hostages and condemning much of the rhetoric employed against Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Both groups also condemned Starmer’s recent decision to recognize a Palestinian state.