The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says he plans to visit Israel if re-elected for a second term. It was a pledge he had made as far back as 2018. Speaking in Golders Green, London, Khan said:
Katy Blackwood, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“…If I am re-elected I intend to go to Israel. There is a lot of work we are already doing in fintech, with innovation. Whenever I speak with the Mayor of Tel Aviv I am very excited about the work that is taking place there. There is an obvious partnership, I want to see us building on that. In term two, I will bang the drum for London in Israel.”
When seeking to resolve the dilemma of how best to deal with Covid-19 vaccine scepticism, the Mayor said he looked to the Israelis for guidance saying they were “light years ahead” in dealing with anti-vax concerns. Khan also praised the Jewish contribution to London’s high standing in the world:
“…One of the reasons why we are one of the greatest cities in the world is because of the contribution made by Jewish Londoners – economically, socially and culturally,”
Polls show that Khan is on course to be re-elected as Mayor on May 6th. Khan’s rival, the Conservative London Mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, has accused him of failing to speak out against anti-Israel activists such as those involved in Israel Apartheid Week at British universities. Bailey claims that this was because Khan was on the same side as the left-wing activists and that “he had friendships in that group of people.”
