In a turn of events so deliciously ironic it could only be written by the universe’s most sarcastic screenwriter, professional grifter and far-right troublemaker Tommy Robinson has done what he has spent two decades demanding immigrants do: he has left the country.
The former English Defence League leader—real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, but let’s be honest, neither name is fooling anyone—fled the UK this week after police politely informed him that an ISIS publication had named him as a target . It turns out that when you spend your life painting a bullseye on entire communities, eventually someone paints one on you. Who knew?
From “Go Home” to “I’m Home-less”
Robinson, 43, posted a frantic video of a police phone call on social media, presumably hoping his followers would send thoughts, prayers, and—knowing his track record—donations . In the audio, an officer can be heard doing something Robinson has never done: actually protecting him .
Following in the footsteps of the millions of migrants he has demonized, Robinson announced he had fled “for my safety and the safety of my family” . Yes, the man who built a career on telling others they don’t belong in Britain has now voluntarily banished himself from it. You really couldn’t script this level of cognitive dissonance, though we suspect Robinson will try to sell the movie rights anyway.
The Tel Aviv Tango: A Match Made in Hypocrisy Heaven
But where does a self-proclaimed “warrior for Britain” go when Britain gets a bit too hot? To Israel, naturally—a country he recently visited to cosy up with politicians who apparently didn’t have access to Google .
Just months ago, Robinson was swanning around Tel Aviv, receiving standing ovations from confused crowds who seemed to think he was some sort of free speech martyr rather than a guy with multiple contempt of court charges . Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli—presumably working on a “destroy diaspora relations” mandate—hosted him like a visiting head of state .
“The far-right agitator toured the Gaza border with Chikli, visited a West Bank settlement, and addressed a Likud-linked gathering where attendees physically assaulted a lone heckler who called Robinson a racist,” one report noted . Nothing says “solidarity with the Jewish people” quite like watching your fans spit on someone pointing out the truth.
The “Grubby Links” Exposed
Here’s where Robinson’s cynical “friendship” with Israel gets particularly sticky. British Jewish organizations—you know, the actual representatives of British Jews—have spent months begging Israeli politicians to stay away from him.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, an organization founded in 1760 (Robinson’s intellectual prime), called him “a thug who represents the very worst of Britain” . The Jewish Leadership Council joined in, stating that Chikli, by hosting Robinson, had become a Diaspora minister “in name only” .
Even Israeli media and commentators have torn into the alliance. Writing in Israel Hayom, one analyst warned that Robinson’s attempt to present himself as a supporter of Israel is a “manipulative falsehood aimed at sanitizing his extremist image” . Dave Rich, an antisemitism expert at the Community Security Trust, has explicitly identified Robinson as antisemitic .
But Robinson—never one to let reality get in the way of a grift—continues to insist he’s a “true friend of the Jewish people,” presumably while scrolling past the dozens of Jewish organizations calling him a menace .
Tony Bellew Saw This Coming
Meanwhile, back in the UK, former boxing champion Tony Bellew is busy preparing the world’s largest “I told you so.”
Bellew, who previously labelled Robinson a “racist” and “disgusting” for his anti-Muslim tirades, has been embroiled in an X-rated war of words with the activist . Robinson, demonstrating his usual emotional maturity, responded by calling Bellew a “b****” and questioning his knowledge of Islam .
“Out of all the problems you could have used your platform to talk about, you said Tommy Robinson is the problem,” Robinson whined on a podcast . Yes, Tommy. That’s generally what happens when you are the problem.
The Irony Is So Thick You Could Spread It on Matzah
So here we are: Tommy Robinson, the man who made a career out of shouting about “invaders” and “traitors,” has fled the country in fear. The man who sought legitimacy from Israel is rejected by the majority of British Jews who actually live there. The man who claims to be a victim is, for once, actually a victim—of his own making.
As he scuttles off to wherever he’s hiding (presumably a villa funded by his latest sob-story crowdfunding campaign), one can only reflect on the beautiful symmetry of it all. A man who has spent years telling others they don’t belong now belongs nowhere. A man who claimed to love Britain has left it. A man who pretended to love Jews has been publicly rejected by them.
The only question remaining is: Tommy, given your well-documented fondness for telling people to “go back to where they came from,” shall we book you a one-way ticket to… well, anywhere that’ll have you?
(We asked Luton, but they said they’re full.)