Tommy Robinson ‘not welcome’ in Manchester, says local Jewish group
The posters were sent to homes in Manchester to promote Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's MEP campaign
A Jewish group in Manchester has said that Tommy Robinson is “not welcome” in the city after flyers were posted to Jewish households.
The three authors of the flyer, reportedly called “M. Rowe, M. Baron and A. Horrow”, claim to be “regular, grassroots Charedi and modern Orthodox Jews” living near Stamford Hill.
The flyers sought to encourage the community to support Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, who stood as North West MEP on May 23.
“A personal message from the heart to our fellow yidden. In times of danger, we need a real good friend Tommy Robinson,” the flyers read.
“Standing up for real truth and justice in English and a staunch friend of our people.
“Many yidden are going to VOTE TOMMY – please join us.”
Michael Rubinstein, of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region, said: “Tommy Robinson is openly racist attacking the immigrant community and in particular Muslims.
“He wraps himself in the Israeli flag and a tiny number of Jewish people believe that this indicates support for the Jewish community and for Israel.
“We say to Tommy Robinson, and to the very few Jewish people who support him: ‘the community do not support you, you are not welcome in our city’.”
Speaking to Jewish News, Rubinstein added: “These people who have no links with the city and our region should not meddle in our business.”
In an email to Jewish News, the authors of the flyers wrote: “I would stress for the record that we deeply respect other people’s rights to their own point of view, their right to criticise us, and we are not setting out to upset anyone.”
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said: “As we’ve said before, Tommy Robinson’s anti-Muslim propaganda will never gain the support of the mainstream Jewish community.
“We deplore the attempts by a tiny number of misguided individuals, who claim otherwise.”
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