Farage continues to face nationalist backlash over Reform UK’s Jewish and pro-Israel groups

Nigel Farage is facing mounting criticism from right-wing nationalists in the UK over his decision to allow separate Jewish and pro-Israel organisations to operate within his Reform UK party.

Leading nationalist commentators, including reactionary populist Connor Tomlinson, have responded to the launch of the Reform Jewish Alliance (RJA) and Reform Friends of Israel (RFI)  groups by accusing Farage of “selective nationalism” and of prioritising the interests of a “foreign lobby” over those of the English people “at a time of crisis.”

Tomlinson, who is closely linked to MP Rupert Lowe’s newly-launched political party Restore Britain – which has called for a ban on both kosher and halal slaughter – has built up a significant following on Spotify and YouTube, espousing a staunchly anti-Islam, nationalist stance.

In an increasingly bitter row with Conservative Jewish peer Lord Finkelstein, Tomlinson, a practising Catholic, has faced allegations of “antisemitic thinking” after accusing the newspaper commentator of “double-standards” on Israel.

The dispute is emblematic of a wider argument now gaining traction on the nationalist right, which accuses influential Jewish figures such as Finkelstein of defending Israel as a vital ally and bulwark against antisemitism, while “failing to support English nationalists when they seek to rid the country of the ‘jihadist’ threat.”

Last week, after Farage and other senior Reform figures addressed the launch of the RJA organisations, hundreds of nationalists reacted furiously on social media.

Many posts resembled the attacks frequently aimed at Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, with claims that Reform had been “bought by the ‘establishment lobby.’”

At the event, held in the function hall of a central London synagogue, Farage and his deputy Richard Tice openly defended what they described as “Judeo-Christian values in the West,” warning that these were “now under threat due to the rise of Islamism.”

However, to nationalists such as Tomlinson, the use of the term “Judeo-Christian values” is regarded as “a political tool that seeks to build a coalition with outsiders, such as the Jewish community, but one which dilutes traditional English national identity.”

Social media commentary was even more explicit in response to the launch of the RJA.

“We are all goyim, don’t you know,” stated one post on a far-right Facebook page. Another user wrote that they had “torn up” their Reform UK membership card after learning about the launch of the Jewish group.

A separate Friends of Israel group is being launched this month, with the specific aim of building links between Farage’s party and politicians on the right in Israel.

This criticism of Farage’s perceived attempt to align his party with the UK’s Jewish community – coming ahead of local elections in May and the next general election – has raised fears about growing antisemitic sentiment on the right wing of British politics.

Political leaders such as Restore Britain’s Rupert Lowe appear to be seeking to tap into anti-Jewish nationalism, advocating Britain First-style policies that “present the community as being as much a threat to traditional values as the Muslim one.”

The division on the UK right over Israel also appears to mirror a split that has emerged within Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, as a significant section of his supporters break away from supporting the Jewish state. This is driven by a clash between traditional pro-Israel conservatism and a rising “America First” isolationist wing.

Last year, Tomlinson visited Israel as a guest of the Herzl Institute and its chairman, Yoram Hazony.

The Herzl Institute is a key sponsor of the National Conservatism movement, which Hazony leads and with which Tomlinson had previously aligned.

But on his return, Tomlinson published an article titled “Why Israel Lost the Right,” and voiced further criticism in a series of media interviews. He argued that “the modern Western right is becoming disillusioned with unconditional support for Israel,” and suggested that younger “reactionary” conservatives “increasingly view Israel as a ‘foreign lobby’ that prioritises its own security at the expense of Western national interests.”

Tomlinson went further, arguing that while Israeli leaders are praised by some on the right for their “blood and soil” nationalism and border security, it was hypocritical that some pro-Israel figures in the West “simultaneously support mass migration into Europe.”

Critics seized on these remarks, accusing Tomlinson of promoting the conspiracy-ridden “great replacement” narrative and of implying that some elements of the Israeli state or its supporters were linked to “replacement migration” in the UK.

Tomlinson’s stance on Israel has led to an increasingly ugly clash with Lord Finkelstein, as he accused the Tory peer of a “double-standard,” claiming there is a “demand we support Israel, then deny the same self-determination to ethnic Brits.”

Finkelstein has publicly criticised the “polarising strategy” of the populist right.

He went further by providing a video to Piers Morgan for an interview with Nick Fuentes, the leader of the right-wing “Groyper” movement in the US, many of whose supporters back the “America First” message and claim the United States is being undermined by “rich and powerful Jews.”

Fuentes responded to Finkelstein’s video with remarks that appeared to praise Hitler and mocking the peer’s accent.

In a subsequent Times article titled “How The World’s Antisemites Turned On Me,” Finkelstein revealed he had been “flooded” with hate messages on social media, including some openly mocking the Nazi Holocaust.

“The thrust of these messages, hundreds this time rather than thousands, is that it is deeply hypocritical of me to believe that there should be a country for Jews (Israel) but not for English people,” wrote Finkelstein.

While the article did not directly name Tomlinson, he responded: “Now he’s writing in The Times, insinuating (without naming me) that I am an antisemite, a Nazi, and that his grandparents would be proud of him for ‘confronting’ me because ‘That’s what my grandfather had done in Germany in the Twenties and Thirties.’”

Tomlinson continued, “Reminder: Danny brought me into the discussion by insulting me. I was polite and direct throughout, whereas he continued to be dismissive and disparaging, before finally blocking me.” He added, “Now he’s writing in a national newspaper about how those of us who want the same model of nation state in England that Danny advocates for Jews to enjoy in Israel are no different to people who mocked his parents’ persecution at the hands of Hitler and Stalin.

“The reason Danny is doing this from behind a block is that he lost the argument. The double standard can’t be sustained. You can’t demand we support Israel, then deny the same self-determination to ethnic Brits. You can’t say antisemitism is rife and the Bondi Beach massacre made you feel unsafe, then propose an alliance between Muslims and Jews to fight ‘the far right.’”

In a further development, Tomlinson has also highlighted his previously close ties with Matt Goodwin, the GB News presenter now standing as the Reform UK candidate in next week’s Gorton and Denton by-election.

In a post on X, Tomlinson alleged, “You were calling us all privately, very recently saying you wanted us ‘on the front lines’ of Reform.”

He added, “Almost word for word what you said to me, on the phone, on 7th November 2025, after Reform HQ banned me from speaking alongside you at a local branch event. Because you said I am ‘someone who should be on the front lines of politics in the next five years.’

“Make up your mind, Matt: are the young men you’ve known for years racists, antisemites, and ‘the real far right’ all of a sudden? You’re against us publicly, but privately you agree with everything the lads leading Restore Britain say. Because you’ve appeared on our podcasts, had dinner with us, had us write for your Substack, and sought our advice on how to write your social media posts for you.”

The row centred on Goodwin’s attempt to forge an alliance with British Sikhs, who he argued were also allies in the fight against Islam.

Goodwin responded in his own post on X: “You and many Restore people around you appear to be advocating blatant racism, calling to not just deport illegal migrants and foreign criminals (which is Reform policy) but throw out settled Brits who work hard, pay taxes, and play by the rules. I do not want any part in that. That is not my politics.”

Goodwin’s comments in support of Israel have, perhaps unsurprisingly, led to further attacks by Tomlinson and his allies.

They seized on remarks Goodwin made in an interview: “I want a politics that puts Britain first, not any other foreign policy.” Asked why, in light of this, he and Reform had aligned themselves with Israel, Goodwin replied, “We should always look after our allies…”

As the “double-standards” row rumbles on, the controversy continues to expose fractures within Reform UK and the broader nationalist right.

But tellingly, Tomlinson has continued to urge voters in next week’s by-election to back “ruthless” Goodwin, and ignore backing a candidate standing for the right-wing Advance UK Party, on the grounds that the Reform candidate actually holds sincere nationalist views.