The official mouthpiece of the British Jewish community has again printed another hit piece against Tommy Robinson. Once again they are pleading with Jews in the UK not to have any contact with Tommy Robinson. After his trip to Israel last November they published an opinion piece by Marcus Dysch, which I answered. This time, they are attacking in the guise of “news” following a private talk Tommy gave to a Jewish audience in Manchester:
Former EDL leader Tommy Robinson holds secret meeting with Manchester Jews
JLM members had been left “outraged” after learning of the event.
Tommy will always be the “former EDL leader” in much the same way as I am a former teenager. And what is the “JLM” — honestly I have no idea, I’ve never heard of it, it’s not mentioned again in the article as an acronym and all that springs to mind is Jewish Lives Matter (which it isn’t I’m pretty sure).
Members of Manchester’s Jewish community held a secret meeting with Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the far-right English Defence League.
The controversial meeting, which took place in Prestwich last week, was billed as a charity fundraiser, but also saw Mr Robinson deliver a speech outlining his extreme views on Islam.
Obviously the Jewish Chronicle provides no details of the defendant’s “extreme views on Islam” or gives any evidence that they even know what he spoke about. After a couple of sources confirmed that the meeting took place (on condition of anonymity backed by threat of legal action), the Jewish Chronicle calls its first witness for the prosecution, a Mr Anthony Dennison, residing in Manchester:
Mr Dennison said: “We find some of Tommy Robinson’s opinions abhorrent. Unfortunately in our community there are a small number of people who are attracted his policies.
Mr Dennison and the Jewish Chronicle did not elaborate here on Tommy Robinson’s “abhorrent” opinions.
The second witness for the prosecution, a Mr Jeremy Newmark of Boreham Wood, is then called to offer the following:
Jeremy Newmark, Jewish Labour Movement chairman, confirmed local activists from his organisation had been left “outraged” after learning of the event.
Mr Newmark told the JC: “No ifs, no buts, Tommy Robinson is an enemy of our community. He is part of the same political tradition as the National Front and the BNP.”
Ah, wait, here’s the clue to the cryptic JLM in the sub-heading! JLM is the “Jewish Labour Movement.” That would be the Labour Party of Jeremy Hezbollah Hamas Corbyn (excoriated this week for Jew hatred in a new video). It would appear that neither Mr Newmark nor Mr Dennison actually attended the meeting with the defendant, and are offering their uninformed opinions based on hearsay, prejudice and probably the prior, slanted reporting of the Jewish Chronicle.
The line that Tommy is part of the “same political tradition as the National Front and the BNP” I believe to be slander. Tommy has from the very beginnings of his political activities declared his contempt for race-based politics. Tommy has filmed himself burning swastikas. The EDL while he led it was insistent on excluding, banning or ejecting anyone espousing race hate. Tommy eventually left the EDL because his political persecution and imprisonment made it difficult for him to keep these elements out of the organisation he had founded. If Mr Newmark has evidence of Tommy’s “political tradition” outside of what I know, I’d like him to present it. And if Tommy Robinson wasn’t so busy doing other useful work, I’d suggest he consider legal action.
Back to the writing of the Jewish Chronicle “journalist.” We rejoin him expressing an unsubstantiated allegation:
Mr Robinson has long attempted to court British Jews and has travelled to Israel, proclaiming himself to be a “Zionist”.
It is a fact that Tommy Robinson travelled to Israel. I should know, I organised the trip and spent seven days with him and his (mixed race) friends. As to whether this was part of an ongoing effort to “court British Jews” I can’t say, but the Jewish Chronicle hasn’t presented any evidence that they would know his state of mind. Tommy did proclaim himself to be a Zionist in tweets, because he is one. He’s also better informed about Israel than many of the Jews in the UK, because I know what he saw while he drove up and down Judea and Samaria with me.
Next up, the Jewish Chronicle attempts to “out” a Jew as a Tommy Robinson supporter for having appeared in a Rebel Media video:
In a video posted on the right-wing Youtube outlet Rebel Media on June 30, Mr Robinson is filmed introducing lawyer Robert Festenstein, a director of the Jewish Human Rights Watch group, in a feature about a Sunderland shopkeeper who was told to remove an anti-terrorism sign from the front of her shop.
Mr Festenstein told the JC: “I was interviewed by Mr Robinson in connection with a matter where I am instructed by a client who has a potential dispute with Sunderland City Council. Mr Robinson is not my client and I have no association with him.
“As far as any meeting in Manchester with Mr Robinson was concerned, I was not invited, nor did I attend such a meeting.”
Clearly rattled by the accusation that he might not find Tommy Robinson to have “abhorrent” views, Mr Festenstein (a Jewish lawyer) issues the demanded denunciation for which he was approached. We’ll put Mr Festenstein down as an indicted co-conspirator who appears to have managed to clear his name (for now).
Next up as another witness for the prosecution: the highest representatives of all Jews in the United Kingdom: the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
In a statement, the Board of Deputies condemned last week’s meeting saying: “Tommy Robinson’s record of anti-Muslim provocation means that he could never be a partner of a respectable or mainstream Jewish organisation.”
“Never” is a particularly strong point: this is the same Board of Deputies, remember, which signed a joint declaration with the Muslim Council of Britain. A 2015 UK Government report admitted that the Muslim Brotherhood exerted a strong influence over the MCB. They’re OK to work with, but Tommy Robinson can never be allowed to partner with (approved, respectable) Jews.
Next up for the prosecution comes the Twitter account “Jewish Voice,” presenting another worthless opinion uninformed by any direct contact with the defendant.
If the Jewish Chronicle made any attempt to contact the defendant, no evidence of such is given; they merely quote from a number of his tweets:
Mr Robinson confirmed on Twitter that the meeting took place.
“This was from the talk I gave to Manchester Jewish community. Thank you guys for the donations,” he wrote.
In a further post today, Mr Robinson added: “People actually think I’m a Jew. I’ve gone full 360 over last 8 yrs. From people thinking I hate Jews to people thinking I am a Jew.”
The event raised £400 for the AmeliaMae Foundation – a charity raising funds for people affected by the neuroblastoma condition.
This is followed, again, by the final witness for the prosecution, Mr Mark Gardner of the paramilitary “Community Security Trust” organisation. (Yes, I can play at devious and evil mischaracterisations too; especially when I borrow from former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who described Mr Gardner’s organisation thusly in 1984).
Mark Gardner, director of communications at the Community Security Trust said: “CST and our partner groups firmly oppose any such meeting between Jews and the likes of Tommy Robinson.
“We should be clear, however, that a gathering of 12 people does not change the Jewish community’s overwhelming rejection of dead-end politics that only divide and damage British society.”
In normal acts of journalism, it is at this point (or preferably well before) that a real journalist would have attempted to at least get some comment speaking against the thrust of the piece. Well, this was no normal act of journalism. This was a written assault with intent to smear. The quote from paramilitary leader Mark Gardner (oops I did it again) ends the piece.
As I wrote the last time the execrable Jewish Chronicle attacked: your organ’s article about Tommy constituted the worst of prejudice and even lashon hora. You presume to ascribe the very worst motives to a man you’ve never bothered to listen to.
Tommy’s time in Israel and the years I’ve known him have confirmed to me that he is on the right side of a fight that will define Europe. On which side will British Jews line up? That remains to be seen.
Dave says
Left/Liberal Jews as much a reason why jihadis kill ppl with impunity . They are so demented they have lost their sense of what is right from what is wrong.
Call them Islamonazi judenrats , that is what they are for supporting islamic terrorist and their supporters.
gravenimage says
Muslims don’t kill Jews because some of them are liberals. Islam *enjoins* the genocide of the Jews.
Gordon Miller says
It’s a mystery to me how many liberal Jews—but not all, please—have come around to that kind of mindset. It must have some relation to a yet undiscovered guilt gene. Whatever, it makes me “slightly nauseous.”
Babs says
The Jewish Chronicle is a rag, merely that, Robert. It most definitely is NOT the offiicial mouthpiece of the UK Jewish community, any more than the Board of Deputies is. British Jews were never consulted when it came the appointment of either.
Babs says
And since when are Mark Gardner or the CST paramilitary? They exist to do what the police cannot and with the approval of and training by police forces in Britain.
I am very disappointed by the factual errors and the too-ready resorting to hyperbole in this article.
Geezer of London says
The author very clearly points out that his deliberately hyperbolic mischaracterisation is intended as an ironic reflection of the same treatment they have given Tommy Robinson. The point is that the author himself is “very disappointed by the factual errors and too-ready resorting to hyperbole” in the original JC article to which he is responding in kind. Hope you get the point now.
Babs says
No… still not working for me.
Still laughing ironically about “paramilitary” nature of the CST which is a gift to Jew-haters who lie that the Shomrim in London are armed.
gravenimage says
How dare anyone support freedom of action? Bad dhimmis…
Brian Thomas says
As Geezer points out correctly I was making a sarcastic comparison.
Calling Tommy “far-right” is exactly the same as calling the CST a paramilitary organisation. The only difference is the former is acceptable.
Geezer of London says
Thanks for all the work you do in service of the truth, Brian. And if you get the chance, give Kay Wilson a big hug from me! Don’t know what to do with Babs though, sheesh… I guess she at least sort of 50% gets it.
Now I’m going to don my hazmat suit and delve into the comments below your latest youtube vid, wish me godspeed…
Babs says
And since when is Ken Livingstone the epitome of reasoned, disinterested argument?
You are slipping Robert. You should be ashamed of yourself!
Jason says
You’re the only one slipping my dear.
Robert Crawford says
It’s called sarcasm.
gravenimage says
Exactly, Robert.
oxnard says
The author, who is not Robert Spencer, is being cheeky. That’s two ignorant comments in a row from you. Fail.
Jim Nazeum says
Tommy Robinson = Modern Day Paul Revere
Nigel GFF says
The Jewish Labour Movement
http://www.jlm.org.uk/
Extreme left (well anybody right of them is extreme, so why not).
gravenimage says
Thanks, Nigel.
jewdog says
Jews who denigrate our friends and allies are just trying to prove that Jewish intelligence is an oxymoron. I think they do this because they are afraid to be called racists by criticizing another culture and its ideological pathologies, even if they are highly toxic. No, guys, that’s self-defense, a Jewish virtue.
Georg says
“secret meeting” with Jews. Quite the verbiage. There’s a term for people who talk like that.
WPM says
Let me get this straight you have hard left leaning rabbis who would have sit downs with Imams who call for their death and erasing them from the world, but you will not talk or meet with a man who sees these Imams as a threat to his own people too? Would these Rabbis think a sit down with Hitler over coffee and cake should solve the crisis of the Jews in Germany in 1934?I have been watching and reading about Tommy Robinson on my compute here in America over the last year, I have not seen him make one remark of hate towards Jews in any part of the world. He never has called for violence against Moslems if his words hurt Islamic feeling tuff the truth hurts. He can speak out against a political force that is trying to enslave his people and that is what Islam goal is. The Pope and these Rabbis better get their heads on straight before some Islamic removes them in the name of Allah.
Berengaria says
After 9/11, a LEFTIST RABBI in Florida sprang to the defense of Islam, by writing in local newspaper, that Muslim women who
were afraid to go shopping might call him & JEWISH WOMEN would accompany them. I’m afraid that the LEFT, regardless of being Jewish or Christian, will always support the EVIL OF ISLAM! They will willingly submit, LEFTIST SUICIDE!
gravenimage says
UK: Jewish Chronicle enraged that Tommy Robinson held “secret meeting with Manchester Jews”
………………………..
Really? A “secret meeting”? Does that mean he didn’t clear it with the “JLM”, whoever the heck they are?
If Tommy Robinson were *really* anti-Jewish, he could just sit back as Muslims slaughter Jewish people–as, no doubt, the JLM is doing.
Dapto says
These are the same type of jews like soros who earmarked jews for the concentration camps, so watch out if your not an inner circle jew these jews will be happy to send you to May/Corbin’s idea of a concentration camp.
David, Thailand says
Liberal Jews are a special kind of dumb, their own worst enemy.
Fred H says
The people who write for this paper are often nitwits. No surprises there.
Warren Raymond says
Establishment Jews always side with the establishment. That’s why we call them establishment Jews.
Chris Malan says
There is no doubt about it, a huge number of Jews are rabid liberals. I remember how in South Africa, now a sh*^hole after ‘democracy’ took over, they often sided with ANC terrorists. When it became clear they were going to get their wishes, they left in droves, which makes them hypocrites, as well. The acronym of the party most of them supported, PFP (Progressive Federal Party, not existing anymore), was derisivelvy said to stand for Packing for Perth. One of their favourite suburbs, Sandton near Johannesburg, became a great attraction for thieves of all kinds – car, house breaking, etc. Poetic justice. I don’t have much sympathy for liberals of any kind, Jew or otherwise. Especially if what they wished for comes true and they become its victims.
Remember, many Jews all over the world were ardent communists from even before communism took over Russia. And of course afterwards, as well.
When a Jewish, fellow registrar expressed some views even more conservative than my own to me, I said to him that he was supposed to be a Jew, didn’t he support the PFP? He said to me that in Jewish circles it was expected and one became a pariah by being conservative. He became conservative when teaching human anatomy to undergraduate medical students, many of them black, at Wits university in Johannesburg. The blatant ‘affirmative action’ upset him.
At that time, for some weeks, there was violence between the Jewish and Muslim students at Cape Town University over fighting between the two groups in the Middle East. Not being either, I could with amusement observe the going ons. Both those groups, when not fighting each other, supported ANC terrorists.
gravenimage says
There are lots of conservative Jews in the United States.
Your idea that Israel being destroyed by ravening Jihadists is “amusing” shows your true agenda. Why don’t you spend your time on Storm Watch instead of here?
Chris Malan says
Can’t you read? I was amused at what was going on at the University of Cape Town at that time. The two groups were standing on different sides of the road yelling invective at each other and throwing stones at each other. As far as I can remember, there wasn’t even one serious injury.
It will be interesting to see a real break-down of the figures of liberal vs conservative Jews. I know there are conservative Jews, but I bet they are the minority. Statistical outliers always exist, like naturally blonde Italians. But only a fool will say blonde is the predominant hair colour in Italy. Use statistical outliers correctly if you don’t want to appear a fool.
Extending an opponents points to something you can easily tear down is called setting up a straw man. One of the well known ways of dishonest logic. I never said I want Israel to be destroyed by the Arabs. I have a friend in Israel, Reuven Gertler. We met when he came over for a year to gain experience in Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. I was a registrar (resident) in the same department. We became good friends. He told me it was strange that I befriended him and not one of the Jewish doctors did. I told him it was because he was a real Jew and they felt guilty living in relative safety and comfort with all that was going on in the Middle East. I even had a good Pakistani Muslim friend while working in Saudi Arabia. Obviously, he was no fire breather.
gravenimage says
Chris, you may say that you were just amused by Jews and Muslims yelling at each other, but surely even you must realize that the issue involves actual Jihad and a desire to destroy Israel.
Chris Malan says
What I’ve learned from Reuven Gertler, who is one of the few genuinely good people I’ve come across, is that Jews really, really dislike Arabs in the extreme. Working in Saudi Arabia, I learned that Arabs really hate the Jews. The Arabs will always want to annihilate the Jews. I’m sure there are Jews who want to kill all Arabs. But there are so many Arabs and they are spread over such a wide area that it it practically impossible, as most Jews most likely realise. This fact is not reason for me to not be amused by what I find amusing.
In the USA, many politicians reaching a certain level decide they are going to distinguish themselves by brokering peace in the Middle East. They are 100% guaranteed to fail. They are fools who don’t see reality for what it is. Still, I can laugh. Pakistanis and Indians also hate each other, and Greeks and Turks. That’s life.
FYI says
Do they not know what the koran says about Jews?
k 5:78/k 5:82
Do they not know that both allah and muhammed curse the Jews?
Do they not know what islam mandates for the Jewish people?
“The last hour would not come until the muslims WILL FIGHT AGAINST THE JEWS”
Sahih Muslim book 41 no 6985
Do they not know that islamic nations want the physical destruction of Israel?
Do they not know that the koran and islamic teachings are much more violently anti-Semitic than Hitler’s mein kampf?
Do they not know that just as Hitler promised to go after the Jews so does islamic teaching?
Do they not see the need to be prepared??
……….see what koran 5:78/koran 5:82 has to say about allah’s curses upon (and blind hatred of) the Jews.
henry says
Well, I’m not 100% happy with Mr. Robinson. But I think he is right.
If my grandfather had listened to the jewish community leaders in Berlin, back in 1934, he would have died in a camp. Instead he fled Germany and survived. Nowadays the jewish community leaders fail again in recognizing the most serious enemies of the jewish people and the free world. Our enemies are mostly the political left and so called islamism. Also, it must be known to outsiders of the jewish community, the leaders speak only for a portion of the community. I know many jews, including me, who are disgusted from the way they act, and are not affiliate with the community organizations. Another problem is that many jewish academics pretty liberal and fail to admit that their liberal and left friends are jew haters. These community leaders are scared to hell that jews may engage in counter-jihad activities. SO please, next time some jewish community leader speaks out, please don’t take them too serious.
gravenimage says
Tommy Robinson has made some missteps, but in the whole scheme of things he is a brave Anti-Jihadist, who has been through a great deal yet continues to courageously fight.
Lioness says
Leftist Jews will kiss the ass of jihadis in the hope that muslims will reciprocate good will towards them. Their stupidity and blindness will only bring disaster to all Jews. It’s such a shame that they have not learned from history that you cannot be nice to those who want to destroy you.
Louis Schwartz says
As a Jew, I love and support Tommy Robinson in all his endeavors, especially to save the U.K. God Bless Tommy Robinson.
gravenimage says
+1
Herbert J Smith says
The Jewish Chronicle! I wouldn’t even buy that rag. In all the years it has only printed what it wants and not the truth. To my mind as an Israeli, the JC RAG IS ALSO ANTI ISRAEL!!!
Golem2 says
Tommy’s “extreme view” is that non-muslims defend themselves instead of waiting to be slaughtered
Noel says
‘And what is the “JLM” — honestly I have no idea, I’ve never heard of it, it’s not mentioned again in the article as an acronym and all that springs to mind is Jewish Lives Matter (which it isn’t I’m pretty sure).’
‘Jeremy Newmark, Jewish Labour Movement chairman, confirmed local activists from his organisation had been left “outraged” after learning of the event.’
This author needs to read what he has written. It would help him in being taken seriously.
Linnte says
I “hear” many many hundreds of comments on YouTube about “Jews are causing the Islamic invasion of Europe and the West”. Now I wonder if there isn’t some truth to this ridiculous idea? What SANE Jew would support even the worst Muslim knowing full well Islam commands their extinction?
gravenimage says
Linnte, some Jewish people are clueless about the threat of Islam, just as are some Gentiles.
In the whole of the EU, there are no more than about 1.4 million Jews. They are not driving any policies there.
Most of those claiming that Jews are to blame are the same sort of antisemitic tools who hang out on Storm Front, and just consider Muslims rival barbarians.
D Cripps says
Excellent response, Brian. I hope you managed to email it to the Jewish Chronicle.
JanwoG says
Leftist Jews tend to be enemies of Israel