The new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has met the Israeli ambassador to the UK Mark Regev during his first public engagement.
The pair posed together as Khan attended the national Yom HaShoah ceremony yesterday at the Barnet Copthall Stadium in north London.
Regev is a notorious apologist for Israeli war crimes.
Speaking afterwards to the Jewish Chronicle, Khan said he had felt “privileged” to be there, adding: “I want to be Mayor for all Londoners and there are Londoners who are Holocaust survivors. They want a Mayor who understands the horrors of the Holocaust. And it’s important for me as the Mayor to reflect on that, and to be educated on it as well.”
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev and 200 survivors, veterans and refugees were also at the ceremony.
Regev said that “preserving the memory of the Holocaust is more important today than ever before.
“Jews are still being vilifed and targeted just for being Jews, in the Middle East and in the heart of the West. Israel is being targeted with the same slurs that have been thrown at Jews for time immemorial.
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“Friends, this crazy obsession with the Jewish people and their state has a name – it’s called antisemitism. But we are no longer a stateless people searching for a safe haven, no longer powerless. We are sovereign.”
The Mayor of Tel Aviv has also written to Sadiq Khan congratulating him on his election success and inviting him to visit Israel.
Mr Huldia said he was “most pleased” with the new mayor’s commitment to being an “uncompromising voice against antisemitism” during his campaign.
In a letter to Mr Khan he said: “Over the past few years, our two cities developed strong ties in the field of start up, economic development, culture, art, and urban practices.
“The deep relationship between my administration and London’s municipality is highly appreciated, and I am sure that this relationship will deepen even further during your term.”
Jeremy Corbyn
On the other hand, Khan has yet to appear publicly with the leader of his own Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, and appeared to criticise him yesterday.
In an article in the Guardian he wrote: “Labour only wins when we face outwards and focus on the issues that people care about; second, we will never be trusted to govern unless we reach out and engage with all voters – regardless of their background, where they live or where they work.
“Squabbles over internal structures might be important for some in the party, but it is clear they mean little or nothing to the huge majority of voters. As tempting as it might be, we must always resist focusing in on ourselves and ignoring what people really want.
“Throughout my campaign, we focused on the issues that Londoners care about most – the lack of affordable housing, transport infrastructure and fares, the NHS, the need for real neighbourhood policing and pro-business policies. It might seem like stating the obvious, but offering solutions to the challenges most people face every day is the only way to win elections. How can you expect to enthuse an undecided voter, or persuade a previous Tory voter, if you can’t gain their trust on the key issues, or you don’t want to talk about what they care about most?
“Labour has to be a big tent that appeals to everyone – not just its activists. Campaigns that deliberately turn their back on particular groups are doomed to fail. Just like in London, so-called natural Labour voters alone will never be enough to win a general election. We must be able to persuade people who previously voted Conservative that Labour can be trusted with the economy and security, as well as improving public services and creating a fairer society…
“That’s one reason why the concerns about antisemitism within the Labour party have been so damaging. By not acting quickly enough, the party gave the impression that we didn’t care about the concerns of the Jewish community and that we were not taking accusations of racism seriously.”
