Tommy Robinson said that claims linking Muslim violence solely to Israel are false, arguing that such behavior has existed for centuries. He pointed to the 1480 Ottoman capture of Otranto in Italy, where, according to historical accounts, hundreds of Christian men were executed after refusing to convert to Islam.
Robinson’s argument is that this example demonstrates a long-standing pattern — that conquered populations were historically given the choice to convert or face death — and that this predates the modern Middle East conflict by hundreds of years.
The event he referenced occurred during the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into southern Europe, and is widely cited in discussions about early clashes between Islamic empires and Christian territories.
NEWSRAEL: WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
This claim directly challenges a widespread narrative that places primary blame for modern Islamist violence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By pointing to historical precedents, it reframes the discussion toward deeper ideological and historical roots — a perspective that is increasingly part of the global debate over the origins of extremism.
