Sir Sadiq Khan has been accused of sectarian politics after calling for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits London. The Mayor of London made the comments in an interview with Channel 4 News, stating that Netanyahu was not welcome in the capital and alleging he had "broken the law" and committed a "genocide" in the Gaza strip.
Criticism from shadow foreign secretary
Priti Patel MP, the shadow foreign secretary, reminded the Mayor he had "no authority over British foreign policy." She told the Daily Express: "He should focus on solving the problems London faces on his watch, like his abysmal failure to deliver new homes and his inability to get a handle on violent crime on the streets of the capital." She added: "If the leader of one of our most important allies wants to visit the United Kingdom, he should be able to do so. Andy Burnham must rebuke the Mayor if he wants to rebuild Britain’s reputation on the global stage."
London Conservative leader responds
London Conservative leader Susan Hall blasted the Mayor, saying "there are a million bigger issues facing our city right now." She listed "underfunded police and grooming gangs" as well as "crumbling transport infrastructure and a crippled hospitality sector" as areas Sir Sadiq should focus on. "This useless Mayor is just trying to desperately pander to the Green voters he lost, and neglecting our city in the process," she told the Daily Express. Ms Hall added: "Sadiq: stop trying to play world statesman and focus on your actual job, being the Mayor of our city."
Legal expert dismisses genocide claim
Jeff Blackett OBE, who served as the most senior lawyer in the British Armed Forces for two decades, said: "Once the preserve of the usual hardcore of anti-Israel activists, today the false charge of 'genocide' is levelled against Israel by the likes of the Mayor of London and hard left MPs. It has become almost taboo to say it, but they are profoundly wrong. Yes, there might be much suffering in Gaza, but there is certainly no genocide there." He added: "There is absolutely no evidence that demonstrates Israeli intent to destroy Palestinians generally or Gazans, in particular. Indeed, the precautions Israel took since the war began all demonstrate the opposite, in fact." Blackett warned: "If lawful military action is branded a war crime for cynical ideological and party political reasons, the ability of the UK and its democratic allies to defend their citizens will be eroded. Ultimately, that will make us all less safe."
Mayor's stance and international context
Sir Sadiq, who has been recommended for a peerage by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, said "I think justice needs to happen, and that means him brought to book." He added it was "very good news" that the Israeli premier was not due to come to London and said if he did so he would call for Mr Burnham to order his arrest. "If there is any evidence of him coming to London, I'll be lobbying the Prime Minister to make sure the law's enforced, absolutely," the Mayor told the channel. His comments follow similar ones made by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was forced into a humiliating climbdown when it emerged he did not have the authority to detain another country's leader.
Response from Israeli Embassy
Alex Gandler, spokesperson of the Embassy of Israel, said: "Mayor Khan is trying to copycat Mamdani. But as we’ve seen in New York, with an antisemitic stabbing following Mayor Mamdani’s hateful tirade against Israel, this kind of rhetoric has violent consequences." He added: "Spreading the 'genocide' lie is abhorrent, and is a populist trick. Mayor Khan should focus on fostering positive relations between communities in London and combatting the rise of antisemitism that he assisted in creating and is plaguing his city, rather than getting involved in international affairs he has little to no knowledge about." Sir Sadiq Khan was approached for comment.
