Why are pro-Israel and anti-Muslim sentiments so frequently found together?
Why are pro-Israel and anti-Muslim sentiments so frequently found together?
Several conspiracies surrounding the infamous EDL founder Tommy Robinson and his ties to the pro-Israel lobby have made their rounds through the internet, prompting Op-Eds and a plethora of posts dubbing Robinson as a “Zionist Asset”.
Counter arguments made to rebuke the claim have come from journalists like John Ware describing these claims as a bogus off the wall attempt in an article written for the Jewish News to stir-up antisemitic propaganda. Ware claims these allegations are using an anti-Islamic narrative to smear the Jewish community as an ongoing antisemitic effort. Yet we must undergo an objective analysis of the claims being made as it is no secret that Robinson himself has countlessly aligned himself with Zionism, stating his strong stance with “standing for Israel”.
Whilst Ware criticizes several opinions on the statements on many pro-Palestinian voices who make the link between Robinson and the EDL, The Middle East Monitor states that Ware does an extremely poor job in making his argument, making no effort to challenge the actual evidence for why Robinson is called a Zionist asset.
We should however acknowledge that it is an overly reductive statement to attribute Robinson’s affiliation with Zionist coalitions solely based on his Twitter interactions in support of Israel and the presence of Israeli flags at EDL marches. Britain’s chief rabbi has advised Jewish communities to steer clear of Tommy Robinson’s propaganda, which incites far-right violence and thuggery, urging Robinson to distance himself from pro-Israel demonstrations.
Yet we cannot ignore the alliances formulating between far-right parties like the EDL professing a newfound love of Israel and the ideas of Zionism, and so when opening this “so called conspiracy” it is paramount to identify the evidence that claim the statement made in the former.
Prior to this claim, there have been multiple instances where we see the intersections between the EDL and Zionist agency. Tony Greenstein, a well-known Jewish anti-Zionist activist and blogger iterated that Jonathan Hoffman, the ex-co-chairman of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain was involved in participating in protests alongside EDL members. Greenstein was vehemently critical of Hoffmans actions during demonstrations that took place during the fallout from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla incident in 2010.
Even if Jewish community groups have denounced the anti-Islam activist, this raises the question therefore in this contemporary analysis with the two forces at play: What Are Israeli Flags and Jewish Activists Doing at Demonstrations Sponsored by the English Defence League?
The paper trail of evidence compellingly underscores a profound connection between Robinson and Zionism. For instance, Double Down news and the Middle East Monitor curated a comprehensive analysis regarding the EDLs history, and the agents involved in the group since its inception.
For starters when the EDL began its registration to company house, the registration was carried out by a former Israeli soldier Roberta Moore, who then created an offshoot within the EDL known as the EDL Jewish unit, which regularly partnered with the Zionist federation to hold demonstrations regularly outside the Zionist embassy.
This goes to ask whether the conspiracy theory being claimed is just a “conspiracy”, hence when taking a deeper glance into this alleged claim, we find more evidence linking pro-Israel personalities to the EDL and Tommy Robinson.
Dennis Karim, also known by his stage name Lowkey, is a prominent British-Iraqi rapper and intellectual, renowned for his outspoken coverage of the Palestinian issue and events related to Islamophobia, spoke about Zionists personas linked to Robinson, one of many being tech billionaire Robert shillman.
Shillman was a board member on the Friends of the IDF, a non-political organization that to collects donations on behalf of the soldiers of the Israel defence Forces. Mr Karim stated on Double Down news, that Tommy Robinson received a generous hand out of around £8000 as a month a Shillman fellow according to his ex-personal assistant Lucy Brown. But the paper trail doesn’t stop just there. Upon taking a further deep dive into the hidden global network behind Tommy Robinson’s successive mobilization.
Robinson has also received funding from a neoconservative pro American think thank called The Middle East Forum. It’s ex-director, now secretary Gregg Roman, previously served as director of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh whilst also serving as the political advisor to the deputy foreign minister of Israel and worked for the Israeli Ministry of defence.
When looking at the expenses of the MEF, The Guardian reports that the organization spent about $60,000 (£47,000) on Robinson’s legal fees. The article presenting this information also states that an unnamed high-ranking executive from the Middle East Forum (MEF) has played an active role in organizing or preparing for a march, however stating that her involvement was done out of personal capacity – not on behalf of the organization.
Several media outlets, including Al-Jazeera and OpenDemocracy, along with a broad spectrum of opinions, have suggested that a significant faction of right-wing Zionists who have long held sway in pro-Israel politics are frequently associated with the organized promotion of Islamophobia – a very common theme that is often associated by the EDL.
A report by the Centre for American Progress (CAP) presents substantial evidence connecting Israel-related donations and the Islamophobia industry, particularly through charitable funds. Notable examples, such as the Anchorage Foundation, the Fairbrook Foundation, the Newton & Rochelle Becker Foundations, and the Russell Berrie Foundation, have undeniably funded projects that invoke Islamophobic sentiments, raising the question: why are pro-Israel and anti-Muslim sentiments so frequently found together?
Going back to the criticisms incited by John ware and the defensive stance Jewish rabbis have taken regarding the allegations allows us to therefore throw the question back to their defensive attitude, “What can pro-Israel entities gain from backing Tommy Robinson?” – well from the evidence and connections made above it is certainly not nothing.
The audit trail surrounding concepts of Zionism, Islamophobic sentiment and far right activism is lengthy, hence should nudge political bodies and authorities to hold a sense of accountability toward these connections, due to the incitement of unrest being caused. It is therefore crucial to call upon legislative bodies and authorities to hold those orchestrating and fuelling the political polarization behind the scenes into account.
