He goes by the pseudonym of “Sammy Yahood,” partly to protect his family in England and partly to project his new identity as a social media warrior in Israel, to which he immigrated six months ago.
“My mission in life, I really do believe, is that I have a responsibility to fight for the Jewish people and in any way that I can,” the spirited and eloquent 25-year-old told JNS in an interview on July 1.
“I’ve been known by Sammy Yahood for the last two years,” he said. “I was born and raised in northwest London, from a pretty privileged background, ‘bubbled’ by my community until my young adulthood. And I’ve slowly evolved into somebody who likes to spend most of his time fighting for the Jewish community.”
He chose his nom de plume for several reasons: His British family are “Jews from Arab lands,” he started his popular video posting on social media by going undercover at anti-Israel protests in London; and “Muslims call us al-Yahud (‘Jews’ in Arabic).”
After working in real estate in London, becoming a Krav Maga instructor and a Birthright Israel counselor, he decided, following the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, to dedicate himself to “fighting for Am Yisrael” (“the people of Israel”) striving to become, in his words, “a Maccabi leading from the front.”
Asked if he considered himself a social media activist, content creator or influencer (Known as @sammyahood, he has tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and X), he said, “I don’t particularly like to use those sorts of terms, because I associate them with other things.”
He said he has gained his following—Israelis and Diaspora Jews, young and old, from across the political spectrum—by “confronting the enemy with an unapologetic and uncompromising attitude, with the aim of demonstrating that courage and confidence in the face of hatred is easier than perceived.”
‘Make aliyah!’
He urged Jews around the world to make aliyah as soon as possible, because, as he bluntly put it, “I think most of the Diaspora is doomed.” He pointed to the United States, where he said “we have a big stake and a big influence and a big responsibility to fight for America,” where “you see New York’s and L.A.’s community of Jews pandering towards the Islamists and the leftist leaders.”
Inspired by the deep history of Jewish resilience, he said, his goal is “to inform and encourage Jewish people to get out there, get stronger and to make aliyah.”
Acknowledging that he had “a very pragmatic and blunt way of looking at things,” he appealed to Jews in the West, especially in Europe and the United Kingdom, to heed the call of Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli to leave and “come home to Israel.”
“We have to be real with ourselves when more British Muslims have left to join ISIS than to join the British Armed Forces,” he said. “We’ve got to take a step back from what the BBC and what our so-called leaders in Britain are telling us, including the British Jewish publications and leaders. They’re just as guilty.”
Regarding the recent chants at the Glastonbury music festival by Bob Vylan calling for “Death to the IDF,” he said he was not surprised. “Sickened, but totally unsurprised.”
Asked who his hero is, he said, “Sir Winston Churchill. He was one of the most important figures in modern times. And he was the man of the hour,” noting that Churchill had refused to negotiate with Hitler just as Israel should never have negotiated with Hamas. “As Golda Meir said, you cannot negotiate with someone who’s come to kill you. And you have to have a leader who understands that unequivocally and unambiguously.”
Saying he saw a parallel between Churchill and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he added, “I’ve only been here for six months officially, but I’m proud to say that I’m very, very grateful to have him as the leader during these crunch times.”
Asked what his plans are for the future, he said, “Honestly, just to continue motivating and inspiring the Jewish people and freedom lovers. We have to fight for what we have taken for granted for decades, for generations.”