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Sadiq Khan housing official suspended over posts appearing to praise Hamas
Jewish campaigners demand action after London regeneration manager allegedly celebrated the 7 October massacre on social media
A senior official working on one of Sadiq Khan’s major London housing projects has reportedly been suspended after sharing social media posts appearing to celebrate the 7 October Hamas attacks.
Nabil Al-Kinani, a development manager involved in the Mayor of London’s Royal Docks regeneration programme, is under investigation following allegations that he praised Hamas terrorists and called for Ashkenazi Jews to leave Israel.
According to The Telegraph, Al-Kinani marked the third anniversary of the 7 October massacre by posting “The Day of Glorious Crossing” on Instagram.
The wording echoed language used by senior Hamas figures to describe the attacks, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
In another post, he reportedly shared footage of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar alongside the message: “Don’t ever fear speaking up and celebrating the freedom fighters. They are the best of us, and don’t deserve your silence.”
He also allegedly posted an image of rockets being launched towards Israel, writing: “God bless our fighters” and “Repatriate the Ashkenazis.”
Al-Kinani, an Iraqi refugee, works on the Royal Docks redevelopment in east London, a major regeneration scheme backed by City Hall.
His LinkedIn profile states that he manages land and leasehold arrangements at Thameside West, a £2.5 billion development site.
The Telegraph reported that he has been suspended pending an investigation.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned his reported comments as “grotesque” and urged the Mayor’s office to take action.
A spokesman said: “The Mayor’s office needs to investigate and, if the allegations are borne out, fire Nabil Al Kinani.”
The organisation also pointed to growing dissatisfaction among British Jews with Khan’s handling of antisemitism since 7 October.
“Fewer than one in 10 British Jews are satisfied with Sadiq Khan’s performance in relation to the Jewish community since 7 October 2023. A robust response to these revelations may begin to restore that battered trust. We will be writing to the Mayor.”
Susan Hall, leader of the City Hall Conservatives, said she was “horrified” by the allegations.
“That the Mayor of London could employ a person who supports Hamas, and to such a large role, is appalling,” she said.
She called for consequences if the allegations were proven and assurances that supporters of Hamas were not working elsewhere within the Mayor’s organisations.
Reform UK’s London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham also demanded answers over how Al-Kinani secured his position.
She told The Telegraph: “Sadiq Khan blocked a £50m Met Police contract with Palantir amid a row over its supposed incompatibility with ‘London’s values’, yet now we have allegations that a Hamas supporter holds a senior role on a £2.5bn regeneration project involving public land.
“Who approved this appointment? What checks were carried out? And what does City Hall know? City Hall needs a root-and-branch review, from the Met to every major public contract and appointment.”
Responding to the allegations, Al-Kinani defended the right to armed resistance by citing United Nations resolutions.
He told The Telegraph: “UN General Assembly Resolution 37/43 reaffirms the legitimacy of peoples’ struggle against colonial and foreign domination by all available means, ‘including armed struggle’.
“Resolution 3070 similarly recognises armed struggle in pursuit of liberation and calls upon member states to provide moral and material assistance to peoples seeking self-determination. The United Kingdom is a member of the United Nations, and must abide by the resolution.”
He did not directly address the individual social media posts in his quoted response.
A Greater London Authority spokesman said: “Antisemitism has no place whatsoever in society. The GLA group has always been clear that we must do everything we can to tackle antisemitism and all hate crime which can have such a corrosive impact on communities.”
Jewish News has contacted City Hall for comment.
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