Throughout October, Israel has hosted several high-profile far-right influencers from the UK and U.S. on official or sponsored visits.
These trips, facilitated by Israeli government officials, have focused on tours of conflict zones, meetings with politicians, and exposure to narratives emphasising threats from “radical Islam” and Hamas.
Participants included British Islamophobe, criminal and riot inciter Tommy Robinson, Quran burner and U.S. congressional candidate Valentina Gomez, right-wing broadcaster Alex Phillips and right-wing podcaster Liam Tufts.
The delegations aimed to foster alliances against perceived shared enemies, blending anti-immigration rhetoric with pro-Israel advocacy.
Tommy Robinson’s 10 day visit
Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League and a prominent anti-Islam agitator, arrived in Israel on October 15 shortly after a UK court appearance related to a terrorism contempt charge.
The verdict in his case was delayed until November 4 to accommodate the trip, with his defence counsel informing the court that he was a “guest of the Israeli government.”
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The invitation came from Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, a Likud party member, who on October 4 publicly described Robinson as a “courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam” and announced plans to host him to “build stronger bridges of solidarity” against terror.
Chikli covered Robinson’s flight and hotel for the 10-day duration, with the itinerary including meetings in the Knesset, visits to the occupied West Bank (referred to by Robinson as “Judea and Samaria”), the Jabotinsky Institute, Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, and Christian holy sites.
On October 16, Robinson toured the Gaza border with Chikli, where the minister warned of Britain’s vulnerability to “radical Islam,” stating: “If the UK does not address the threat more forcefully, I’m not sure there’s gonna be a Britain.”
They visited the site of the October 7, 2023, Nova music festival attack and met IDF soldiers.
By October 21, Robinson extended his stay informally, planning reports on mosques and Jewish settlers.
He also criticised Maccabi Tel Aviv’s decision not to sell tickets to UK fans for a Birmingham match due to threats, calling it “capitulation to terror.”
Alex Phillips and Liam Tufts
Alex Phillips, a TalkTV presenter known for anti-immigration commentary, joined the far-right delegation arriving around October 15-16, overlapping with Robinson.
On October 18, Phillips posted on X about “atrocity footage,” describing Hamas militants “chopping off heads, shooting everything in sight, slaughtering little crying kids.”
She called the attackers “savages” and drew parallels to migrants arriving in “dinghies,” urging the West to recognse the threat.
Phillips emerged “forever changed,” broadcasting live from conflict sites and tying the events to “global jihad.”
Liam Tufts broadcast live from sites like the Gaza border and October 7 attack locations, expressing his horror at “atrocity footage” and linking it to multiculturalism critiques.
He toured aid points and met officials, contributing to content that amplified Israeli security narratives.
Specific posts from Tuff highlighted “jihadist threats” paralleling UK immigration debates.
Valentina Gomez
Valentina Gomez, a 26-year-old Colombian-born Republican candidate for Texas’s 31st Congressional District, arrived in Israel around October 18 on an all-expenses-paid trip.
Known for burning a Quran in an August 2025 campaign ad vowing to “stop Islam once and for all,” Gomez is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On October 20, at the Gaza border, Gomez filmed IDF strikes during a ceasefire violation, eating popcorn and captioning: “Hamas violated the peace deal. Now they are getting bombed… Let the fireworks begin.”
She visited the Western Wall, declaring it a site where “God entrusts the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers,” and met daughters of killed IDF soldiers.
By October 23, Gomez spoke at the Knesset, pledging: “We will make Judea and Samaria great again. Palestinians can go to 56 Muslim countries — Israel is a Jewish state.”
Propaganda trips
Israel is facilitating these influencer trips to counter declining support among Western audiences and shape online narratives amid criticism of its military actions in Gaza.
Facing what Prime Minister Netanyahu calls an “online propaganda war” lost to algorithms and youth scepticism, Israel allocated $900,000 in 2025 for influencer outreach, targeting far-right figures whose anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric aligns with narratives framing Israel as a bulwark against “global jihad.”
The trips provide access to conflict sites, IDF briefings, and leaders like Netanyahu, generating viral content.
Figures like Robinson, with 1.7 million X followers, reach conservative bases sceptical of mainstream media, blending Israel’s cause with “America First” or anti-multiculturalism themes.
