Pro-Palestinian Jewish activists disrupt Nigel Farage event at London synagogue

Pro-Palestinian Jewish activists disrupted a speech by far-right politician Nigel Farage at London's Central Synagogue this week, accusing him of racism and warning against the normalisation of extremist politics within the Jewish community.

Farage was speaking on Tuesday night at the launch of the Reform Jewish Alliance (RJA), an initiative linked to his Reform UK party aimed at attracting Jewish voters.

The event, held in a function room at Central Synagogue and attended by around 200 people, marked what Farage said was a renewed effort to engage Jewish communities ahead of future elections.

As he began speaking, four activists from the group Na'amod stood up and interrupted him.

"The Torah says to love the stranger, for we were once strangers in Egypt," one protester shouted.

Another declared: "My grandmother fled Germany. You would deport her."

A third referenced the 1936 Battle of Cable Street, saying: "My mother didn’t fight the Mosley fascists for this."

Na'amod, which describes itself as a movement of Jews in the UK seeking to end support for Israel's occupation of Palestine and apartheid, said the disruption was intended to challenge Farage's anti-immigration rhetoric and the use of a synagogue as a political platform.

In a statement shared online after the event, the group said it would not "stand by while sacred spaces are used to sanitise the record of people who oppose everything our community stands for".

The group said it had carefully considered the decision to protest at a synagogue, particularly given heightened sensitivities around demonstrations at places of worship.

Na'amod said it confirmed no religious services were taking place at the time and sought to ensure that no one felt unsafe. While there were moments of tension between protesters and attendees, the disruption did not escalate into violence.

Footage from the event showed at least one activist being forcefully removed from the venue while attendees responded angrily.

Outside the synagogue, dozens of demonstrators from Jewish pro-Palestinian groups, including Jewish Anti-Zionist Action and the Jewish Bloc for Palestine, held placards reading: "Antifascism is a Jewish tradition" and "Reform UK are not your friends".

Josh Cohen, 32, one of the protesters, told the Guardian that he was "disgusted" by comments made during the event referring to Jews as "model immigrants", adding that such language had risked being used to marginalise other communities.

"We are disgusted by antisemitism," he said, "but we believe Reform are an active threat to the Muslim community and to immigrants and asylum-seeker communities in the UK.

Farage told attendees that "Judeo-Christian principles" formed the foundation of Britain's achievements and said the Reform Jewish Alliance could help the party secure up to 15 parliamentary seats in future elections.

Amy Kershenbaum, who attended the event, said: "Many of us would not be here if Reform policies were in place when our ancestors sought refuge".

Farage was introduced at the event by Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society thinktank. 

Among those involved in heading up the Reform Jewish Alliance is Gary Mond, a former senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, who resigned from the organisation in 2022.

Research suggests a political divide is emerging among British Jews, with support for Reform rising in recent surveys, though still below the party's national polling figures.