Deborah Lipstadt calls London Mayor’s 7 October statement ‘revolting’

Deborah Lipstadt has described Sadiq Khan’s statement on the third anniversary of the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust as “revolting’.

The former US antisemitism envoy expressed her disgust after London’s Mayor used the commemoration of the 7 October 2023 Hamas terror atrocities to call out the “reprehensible actions of the Israeli government”.

Lipstadt is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Holocaust history, famous for her service on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and her successful legal defence against Holocaust denier David Irving.

In his statement, the Mayor of London initially acknowledged “all the innocent victims whose lives were cruelly taken and unimaginably changed on October 7” but goes on to add that the day is “also a moment to reflect on the unfathomable suffering and killing of Palestinians over the last three years, both in Gaza and in the West Bank.”

He adds that the “UK government is right to call out the reprehensible actions of the Israeli government” and says the “prospect of a two-state solution” is “critical not only for upholding Palestinian human rights but for ending the cycle of killing and bloodshed” in the region.

Writing in response to a repost of Khan’s comments by X account @JoosyJew, which circled his sentence and added the reply: “Today’s not that moment at all”, Lipstadt added, “”we will see more of it and not just in NYC and London”.

An official at the Israeli Embassy in London told Jewish News: “It is completely inappropriate for the Mayor of London to have tainted his statement today by pivoting to attacking the state of Israel. He should be standing with Jewish Londoners in expressing his solidarity with those who lost friends and family members on that day and are deeply concerned about growing antisemitism in his city. Pro-terrorism hate marches will be taking place today on his streets and we await his condemnation of them.”

A JLC spokesperson told Jewish News: “The Mayor of London could not allow Jews one day to mourn without qualification. Jewish suffering must be contextualised and our grief met with “all lives matter”. The Mayor should recognise that the horrific attack on October 7th triggered a worldwide surge in antisemitism. Indeed, under his watch, London has seen frequent anti-Israel marches, where antisemitic chants, placards and conduct have been commonplace.

“On a day which should be focused on remembering the victims of October 7th, we are also forced to contend with rising antisemitism. We cannot continue like this.”

Speaking on Talk TV on Wednesday 7 October, Stephen Silverman from Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “One day when Jews are allowed to mourn what happened to them it’s not given to them?”

Sadiq Khan’s statement also included his reiteration of his commitment to Jews in the UK, saying: “Our Jewish friends, neighbours and colleagues must be free to live, work and worship without the threat of abuse, intimidation or violence. The fact that, in many places, Jewish communities are still subject to vile antisemitic hate shows how much further we have to go to eradicate this poison from our societies.”

He added: “As Mayor, I’m committed to working with the police, partners and Jewish community organisations to confront antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head. We can never allow conflict overseas to divide us at home. There is never any excuse for harassment, intimidation or attacks against our Jewish communities – and, as Londoners, we must continue to show allyship with our Jewish friends and neighbours by coming together and speaking out not just against these abhorrent crimes, but the insidious attitudes that drive them.”

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also been condemned for his statement on the anniversary, which whilst marking “three years since the horrific war crimes of 7 October” added that the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presided over an “ongoing genocide in Gaza,” saying that Israel “has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children.”

Jewish News has approached the Board of Deputies for comment.