“Israel is burning the UK. As I’ve said, Tommy Robinson is a Zionist agent. He admits here that the ‘anger’ of his thugs is due to Palestine” – David Miller, British Sociologist
Professor of Sociology at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Bath, David Miller, has stated that the recent unrest in Britain stems from the anger of right-wing activists over the significant solidarity with the Palestinian cause on the streets of London.
The sociologist, who focuses on Islamophobia and propaganda, reposted a video on the platform “X” (formerly Twitter), showing the far-right agitator in Britain expressing his frustration over what he described as “Hamas control over London” and the display of its flags in the capital.
The professor, who previously taught political sociology at the University of Bristol, criticized the man responsible for the attacks on mosques, refugee centers, immigrant Muslim neighborhoods, and many businesses that were later looted and vandalized, contributing to the chaos plaguing British cities for days.
Tommy Robinson’s name frequently surfaces in every far-right protest against Muslims, Palestine supporters, immigrants, refugees, or, in short, any non-white minorities or non-Zionists. So who is this individual regarded as the leader of the far-right in Britain?
Tommy Robinson: The Far-Right Leader in Britain
Tommy Robinson is the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a controversial figure known for his extensive influence on the British far-right, even after repeated imprisonments due to his extremist calls and periods of exile outside the UK.
The name “Tommy Robinson” is believed to be derived from a prominent member of the “Football Hooligans” group in Luton, of which Yaxley-Lennon was a part. Robinson initially used this name to conceal his identity and was known for wearing a mask adorned with the English flag during protests, as noted by the British site Middle East Eye.
Robinson was born in Luton in 1982 to an Irish mother and an English father, and developed a notorious reputation early on for his brutish and extremist behavior.
At age 21 (in 2003), he was imprisoned for 12 months after assaulting an off-duty police officer during a drunken altercation.
Robinson joined far-right groups including the British National Party (BNP), which focused on explicit white supremacy and antisemitism, before founding his own group exclusively focused on anti-Islam sentiments.
Founded an Anti-Islam Group
Robinson, ironically a former owner of a tanning salon, established the English Defence League (EDL) in 2009 with a fellow member named Alan Lake. The EDL, a far-right organization, was founded with an agenda of Islamophobia.
The English Defence League emerged as part of a broader European far-right network known as the “Counter-Jihad” movement, which considers Muslim migration to Europe a threat. This movement includes white supremacists, Christian fundamentalists, and other far-right adherents.
Over the past two decades, Robinson has mobilized and incited demonstrations and violent acts aimed at intimidating the British Muslim community and stoking fears of what he describes as an “Islamic takeover” of the UK.
Despite his attempts to deny being a far-right extremist, Robinson believes Islam is a “fascist” religion seeking to “invade Europe.”
In 2016, he declared: “I am not a far-right extremist… I am just opposed to Islam. I think it is backward and fascist.” He also noted that the “refugee crisis” was not about refugees but rather a “Muslim invasion of Europe.”
He has also promoted a popular conspiracy theory that British police refuse to prosecute sexual assaults by Asian men out of fear of being seen as racist. In 2014, he said: “We have a two-tier police force dealing with crimes in the Muslim community differently.”
Robinson also attempted to establish a British branch of the anti-Muslim German group PEGIDA.
At a PEGIDA rally in Dresden, Germany, he stated that he wanted Europe “free of halal food,” “free of Muslim rape gangs,” and “free of the visual scars of minarets” and “the sounds of the adhan,” as well as people “covering their faces, walking our streets, and refusing to integrate.”
A Fierce Defender of Zionism
British professor David Miller elaborated in a lengthy tweet on Robinson’s strong ties to Israel and his fervent defense of Zionism.
Miller stated that Robinson is a “Zionist agent” and has been working for Israel since 2009 as part of the “Counter-Jihad” movement, which Miller claims was created by Israel.
The professor, who was vindicated by the court (in February 2024) against his university (the University of Bristol) after being dismissed in 2021 for his anti-Israel views, sees Zionism as central to the unrest in Britain and the activities of the far-right, specifically Robinson.
Miller connected the unrest in Britain to Israel, asserting that this unrest is an Israeli war against British Muslims and Muslims in the UK, aimed at eradicating protests against Israel and demonstrations supporting Palestine in the country.
Miller pointed out the merger of Robinson’s group, the English Defence League (EDL), with the Jewish Defence League (JDL) just two years after its founding, describing the latter as a “terrorist Zionist organization” that has carried out “violence and thuggery” against Muslims in the UK over the past decade.
Notably, both organizations were founded in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and their names are strikingly similar except for the words “English” and “Jewish.”
The Jewish Defense League is an old Zionist right-wing organization in the US and Europe and has hosted Robinson at several events.
The primary agenda of both organizations has focused on anti-Islam sentiments, particularly regarding “jihad” and labeling it as “terrorism.”
Robinson is considered one of the prominent participants in Israel’s online influencers program, which launched after “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” hosting influencers to spread Zionist propaganda.
Miller indicated that Israel has used its assets and clients in the British political and media spheres to thwart pro-Palestinian protests, and when this failed, it began intimidating Muslims through far-right white nationalists, Iranian royalists, and secular extremists.
In a previous interview with Israeli Channel 13, Robinson said, “If Israel loses, they will come to Europe,” and criticized British media accusations of inciting riots against Muslims in Britain, claiming “no one believes the media.”
