Heckler beaten after calling Tommy Robinson a ‘racist’ at Tel Aviv event
Former Times of Israel journalist says he was punched, spat on and doused with beer after interrupting speech
A protestor was assaulted at a packed Tel Aviv event for British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on Saturday night after shouting that the controversial figure was a “racist.”
Raoul Wootliff, a former Times of Israel journalist, said he was “repeatedly punched in the head, spat at and kicked while on the floor” by attendees after being escorted out of the venue. He said he was also doused with beer and has since reported the attack to the police.
“That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of hatred being welcomed into our country tonight,” he wrote on X following the incident.
Speaking later to The Times of Israel, Wootliff said: ‘”We must stand up to Tommy Robinson’s disgusting racism and to the Israeli government’s growing embrace of the far right. Israelis should be standing shoulder to shoulder with the UK Jewish community, which has fought for years against Robinson’s hate – not giving him a platform.”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was invited to Israel by Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli of the Likud party – a move condemned by the UK’s Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council, which branded Robinson “a thug who represents the very worst of Britain.”
The event, hosted by the Tel Aviv International Salon, drew more than 1,000 people and was billed as a non-partisan forum for debate. Most attendees appeared sympathetic to Robinson, who received a standing ovation as he took the stage.
Robinson told the audience he viewed Israel as “a beacon of democracy surrounded by totalitarian, sharia-driven hellholes” and accused Britain’s Jewish establishment of attacking him because they were “political figures,” not because they represented Jews.
Despite positioning himself as a supporter of Israel, Robinson has a record of antisemitic rhetoric. In 2022 he published an article titled The Jewish Question, claiming “powerful Jewish people” controlled media, technology and government – remarks widely condemned for promoting antisemitic tropes.
At the Tel Aviv event, Robinson rejected those accusations, insisting he targets “woke elitists” and declaring: “The Jewish community needs friends, and just because of accusations against me, I’m not going to walk away.”
Neither the event organisers nor Chikli’s office have commented on the alleged assault.
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