Nigel Farage spoke at the launch of his party’s Jewish Alliance this afternoon (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage has warned that British Jews will be living in “gated communities” in the future. The leader of Reform UK was speaking at the launch of his party’s Jewish Alliance this afternoon. In a recording heard by The Express, he said he had seen the future while living in Strasbourg during his time as an MEP.
Mr Farage told those in attendance: “I’ve seen what happens in communities if Jewish minorities come under attack, and there’s no one there to defend them.
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“The apartment that I had in Strasbourg, a nice part of Strasbourg, it was sort of walking distance, a 20-minute walk, to the European Parliament. I used to walk most mornings, to sort of get rid of the hangover.”
The audience laughed.
He added: “And I had to walk through a district behind a Jewish school…a predominantly Jewish school. And I’m now going back 12, 13 years, where those little kids, who are four or five years old, were going into school with armed soldiers to protect them.
Mr Farage had a flat in Strasbourg while serving as an MEP (Image: Getty)
“And that was in Strasbourg. You think that was bad, there are virtually now no single Jewish [people] living in the centre of Brussels. It is impossible. The only Jews still living in Brussels are those who are successful lawyers…who live in a gated community with 24-hour security. I’m afraid, on the current path, that is the future for the British Jewish community. I’m sorry, but I’m not wrong.
“That is the trend. That is where we’re going. I’ve seen it happen in Strasbourg. I’ve seen it happen in Brussels. I don’t want it to happen here.”
Mr Farage added that he is not asking for “special rights” for British Jews, but “at this particular moment of peril, they are going to need a lot more protection than everybody else, because they are under a direct threat”.
Robert Jenrick also spoke, calling so-called “hate marches” by pro-Palestine protesters an “attack on each and every one of us in this country”.
He added: “We want to live in a multi-faith, multi-ethnic society, which is united and well integrated. One country under one flag.”
Robert Jenrick spoke at the launch with Mr Farage (Image: Getty)
In October, Mr Jenrick was criticised after a recording emerged of him saying that he had visited an area of Birmingham where he “didn’t see another white face”, adding that this was not the kind of country he wanted to live in.
The Conservative defector also stated at today’s event that Reform is fighting forces that are “anti-Jewish and anti-British”.
An attendee described the event as “a packed room and strong speeches on the need to tackle antisemitism, hate marches and defend Jewish life in the UK”.
They added: “Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick, Richard Tice and Nigel Farage all addressed the room.
“A strong response to Nigel Farage’s calls to tackle sectarianism and ensure British Jews can live freely and in safety.”
Nigel Farage Warns British Jews Will Be Forced to Live in ‘Gated Communities’
Nigel Farage has issued a stark warning about the future of Jewish life in Britain, arguing that rising antisemitism could eventually force Jewish families to seek the kind of security measures already seen elsewhere in Europe.
The Reform UK leader made the remarks in February 2026 while speaking at the launch of the Reform Jewish Alliance. Farage said he had witnessed the increasing security surrounding Jewish communities during his years as a Member of the European Parliament and warned that Britain could follow a similar path.
His comments have generated a wider debate about antisemitism, community security and the political responsibility for protecting Britain’s Jewish population.
Farage’s warning about the future
Farage described seeing young Jewish children in Strasbourg going to school under armed protection. He said the experience had stayed with him and represented a future he did not want to see replicated in Britain.
At the Reform Jewish Alliance launch, he argued that Jewish communities facing persistent threats could eventually require increasingly extensive security measures.
The “gated communities” reference was presented as a warning rather than a description of current British Jewish life. Farage’s broader argument was that failure to confront antisemitism could eventually make ordinary Jewish life increasingly difficult.
He also said Jewish people should not receive “special rights”, but argued that they could require greater protection because of the specific threats facing them.
The comments were delivered as Farage attempted to establish a stronger relationship between Reform UK and Britain’s Jewish community.
Reform creates a Jewish alliance
The launch of the Reform Jewish Alliance was significant because it represented an effort by Farage’s party to build a formal political organisation aimed at Jewish voters and activists.
Farage described the organisation as necessary because of what he characterised as growing sectarianism in Britain. The event was attended by around 200 activists and supporters, according to the Jewish Chronicle.
The organisation is led by Gary Mond, a former chair of the National Jewish Assembly and former Conservative parliamentary candidate.
Its stated political objective is to encourage Jewish voters to support Reform UK, particularly in constituencies with significant Jewish populations.
Other senior Reform figures have also sought to reassure Jewish voters.
Robert Jenrick, whose wife and children are Jewish, said at the event that he would not have joined Reform if he believed Farage was antisemitic. Suella Braverman also argued that a Reform government under Farage would take a tougher approach to antisemitism.
These statements are important because Reform’s attempt to expand its support among Jewish voters takes place against a background of intense political debate over antisemitism and Israel.
A warning based partly on European experience
Farage’s argument is heavily influenced by what he says he witnessed elsewhere in Europe.
He recalled his time in Strasbourg and described armed soldiers protecting children outside a Jewish school. He also later referred to Jewish life in Brussels, claiming that Jewish people had effectively withdrawn from parts of the city because of security concerns.
However, those broader claims have been challenged by Jewish community representatives.
Eitan Bergman, vice-president of the Coordinating Committee of Belgian Jewish Organisations, rejected Farage’s description of Jewish life in Brussels as being characterised by “ghetto-like” conditions. He said the Jewish population in Brussels and Belgium remained diverse and stable, and argued that residential patterns could not simply be attributed to antisemitism.
That distinction matters.
There can be serious concerns about antisemitism and community security without every demographic or residential pattern necessarily being caused by hostility toward Jews.
Britain is facing a serious antisemitism debate
Farage’s warning comes amid continuing concern about antisemitic incidents in Britain.
Jewish organisations and community representatives have repeatedly called for stronger protection, particularly around synagogues, schools and community facilities.
A major rally outside Downing Street in May 2026 brought together more than 30 Jewish organisations under the banner “Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism”. The event followed a series of reported antisemitic incidents, including attacks and violence affecting Jewish communities.
The political debate has consequently moved beyond arguments about individual incidents.
It now includes questions about policing, community protection, online extremism, political rhetoric and the relationship between antisemitism and wider conflicts in the Middle East.
For Farage, this environment provides an argument for a tougher approach to antisemitism.
For his critics, however, the language used to describe the threat is itself important.
Criticism of Farage’s claims
Farage’s comments about Brussels and police protection have attracted criticism from Jewish community representatives.
In April, Jewish News reported criticism of his claims concerning the relationship between Britain’s Community Security Trust and the police. Farage had suggested that the organisation felt increasingly isolated and was not receiving sufficient direct assistance.
Jewish communal sources disputed that assessment, arguing that cooperation between the CST and police had been strong, particularly following attacks on synagogues and other Jewish institutions.
One security source cited by Jewish News described the coordination between police and the CST as exemplary.
This illustrates the difficulty surrounding Farage’s argument.
His central concern — that Jewish communities require protection from antisemitism — is shared across much of British public life. But disagreements arise over the scale of the threat, the effectiveness of existing measures and the way those issues should be described.
A complicated political relationship
Farage’s relationship with Britain’s Jewish community is therefore politically complicated.
Reform has sought to present itself as a party willing to confront antisemitism more aggressively. The launch of its Jewish Alliance was part of that strategy.
At the same time, some Jewish activists have strongly criticised Farage and his party.
When the Reform Jewish Alliance was launched, a small number of protesters disrupted the event. Some accused Farage of promoting policies hostile to immigrants and questioned his approach to minority communities.
The controversy has not been limited to Farage personally.
In March 2026, Reform UK suspended Hampshire mayoral candidate Chris Parry after he made controversial comments about Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood-watch organisation. The Guardian reported that Parry had described members of the group as “cosplayers” and compared them with “Islamists on horseback”.
The suspension demonstrated that Reform has also faced internal controversies involving attitudes toward Jewish community organisations.
Why the issue matters to Farage
The political significance of the debate goes beyond antisemitism itself.
Reform UK is attempting to build support across different parts of Britain and compete for voters who have traditionally supported other parties.
Jewish voters represent a relatively small proportion of the overall electorate, but Jewish communities are concentrated in particular constituencies and can be politically significant.
Establishing the Reform Jewish Alliance therefore gives Farage an organisational presence within communities where his party is seeking greater support.
It also allows Reform to make a broader argument about its approach to security, policing, immigration and social cohesion.
But the strategy carries political risks.
The more Farage presents himself as a defender of Britain’s Jewish population, the more closely his words and those of Reform candidates will be scrutinised by Jewish organisations and political opponents.
The bigger question: what does protection mean?
At the heart of the controversy is a difficult question.
What does it mean for a modern democratic country to protect a minority community?
For Farage, the answer involves stronger action against antisemitism and greater security for Jewish schools, synagogues and community institutions.
Jewish organisations generally agree that security is important, but their representatives have also stressed the importance of avoiding generalisations and accurately describing the circumstances in which Jewish communities live.
That distinction is crucial.
A warning about antisemitism does not automatically establish that British Jews are being forced into gated communities. Nor does criticism of Farage’s language mean that concerns about antisemitism should be dismissed.
The two questions can be considered separately.
Farage’s warning will continue to attract attention
Nigel Farage’s “gated communities” warning has therefore become part of a much broader political argument.
His supporters can point to his repeated calls for stronger action against antisemitism and his efforts to establish a Jewish organisation within Reform UK.
His critics can point to disputed claims about Jewish life in Europe, disagreements with community organisations and controversies involving individual Reform figures.
The underlying challenge is shared by British society as a whole: ensuring that Jewish people can live, worship and educate their children without fear while maintaining accurate, proportionate public discussion about the threats they face.
Whether Britain moves toward the kind of security environment Farage fears will depend on a wide range of factors, including policing, criminal justice, community relations, political leadership and the effectiveness of measures against antisemitism.
For now, Farage’s warning remains a political prediction rather than a description of Britain’s current reality.
But it has placed an uncomfortable question at the centre of the debate: how far should Britain go to ensure that Jewish families never reach the point where extraordinary security measures become a normal part of everyday life?