London mayor Sadiq Khan was on Monday (23) accused of supporting "Israeli Zionists" after speaking at an event for Jewish Labour members.
According to Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, who was with the mayor, Khan was berated by two middle-aged men after addressing the Jewish Labour Movement event.
Describing the incident in a series of tweets, Freedland, who is Jewish, wrote: “I was talking on a street corner to Sadiq Khan. Two Labour Party members - white, middle-aged - approached him. They wanted to know why he'd attended the previous day's JLM event.
'''To show solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters'', he said.
'''But they're Zionists,’ one replied. ‘Why would you show support to Israeli Zionists?’' asked the other.
“He replied with a question. ‘Why do you assume that members of the British Jewish community support every action of the Israeli government?’
“They answered that ‘these Israeli Zionists’ were trying to destabilise Labour and undermine Jeremy Corbyn: JLM should be expelled. Why hadn't Khan gone to the Jewish Voice for Labour event, rather than supporting a group they again referred to as ‘Israeli Zionists’.”
Khan spoke about racism and antisemitism at Monday night's fringe event and said many in the Labour Party believed there was a "hierarchy of racism."
Highlighting the party's failure to weed out anti-Jewish racism, Khan said: “My concern about our party is that there appears to be a hierarchy when it comes to racism.
“Racism is racism. Anti-Semitism is racism.”
Towards the end of his speech, he said: “We are with you, we stand with you in solidarity. We will win this battle.”
