Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has admitted that Jewish people are “living in fear” in his city before then claiming “the police have done a very good job” protecting them.
Addressing the issue of antisemitism at People’s Question Time, Khan spoke about the impact of the war in Gaza.
He said: “Over the last 14 months we’ve seen the horror, not just of October 7 in Israel but what’s happened in Gaza with more than 45,000 men women and children, their lives being cut short.
“There is no excuse for antisemitism, or indeed for islamophobia.”
He added: “In London, we’ve seen some of our Jewish friends, neighbours and colleagues having heightened fear because of the evils of antisemitism.
“In London, the police have actually done a very good job providing reassurance to Jewish communities.”
Khan addressed the issue of antisemitism at People’s Question Time
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He also urged Londoners to play their part in making the Jewish community feel safe, saying diversity was one of the “joys of London”.
“All of us have a role to play in relation to making our Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbours feel safe and feel like it’s their city – that’s one of the joys of London- our diversity is a strength, not a weakness. We don’t just tolerate each other- we respect, celebrate and embrace each other.”
These comments come as antisemitic hate crime has quadrupled in the past year, making Jewish people the most targeted minority faith group.
The Community Security Trust, an organisation protecting the Jewish community, has also reported a 117 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents on campus.
Jews in the city have reported feeling unsafe to be visibly religious and said much of this is due to the huge pro-Palestinian marches that take over London on Saturdays.
A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), a British NGO raising awareness about antisemitism said: “Week after week, our capital city and other urban areas have become no-go zones not just for Jews but for the majority of British people, who say that Palestine protests put them off going into town.
“These protests have unleashed a tidal wave of antisemitism that has left no part of our society unaffected. Jewish people feel like we’re drowning.”
Khan’s words followed last weekend’s March Against Antisemitism
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Angry people took to social media to comment on Khan’s statements, with one person writing: “I think @MayorofLondon weak response to antisemitism in London has actually encouraged it.”
Another post read: “He can’t help but mention Islamophobia and blood libels when confronted with antisemitism.”
Khan’s words followed last weekend’s March Against Antisemitism, where Chief Executive of CAA Gideon Falter called out the police for their double standards in policing protests.
He said in his speech: “Men standing in London chanting for “jihad” while the authorities debated on social media whether they might be calling for scholarly introspection.
“Police officers tackling a British-Iranian who I can see here today who had the temerity to hold a sign denouncing Hamas as terrorists — which is quite literally stating the law of our land — wrestling him to the ground and removing him in case he offended a Hamas sympathiser.”
He urged authorities to take more action, saying: “Today we have a warning to the authorities: act against hate, before it’s too late.”
This comes as Sadiq Khan is to receive a knighthood in the New Year honours list, prompting a petition with over 175,000 signatures against this move.
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