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The apology came after Mr Khan seemed to suggest in an interview that he had been singled out for criticism by the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis had said in a post on X on October 31, that after meeting Mr Khan, he had explained to the mayor that “a ceasefire now would be an irresponsible stepping stone to yet more Hamas terrorist brutality”.
He pointed out that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham called for a ceasefire very shortly after him, but suggested that he did not receive similar criticism from the Chief Rabbi or the Jewish Chronicle newspaper.
Mr Khan told Mr Hasan: “I’d ask those Jewish people to just pause and reflect on their response to me calling for a ceasefire.
“What motivated them to come back in the way they did against the mayor of London and the mayor of Greater Manchester? I’ll give you a clue – he’s not called Ahmed Burani, he’s called Andy Burnham, whereas I’m called Sadiq Khan.”
In a statement of apology on Friday morning, the London mayor has now said: “I have been in contact with the Chief Rabbi to apologise for my comments, which I deeply regret.
“He has, along with other Jewish leaders, been a friend to me, and we have worked hard together to unite our city and celebrate our diversity.
“At times it is clear to me, and others, that as a mayor of London of Islamic faith, I am held to a different standard and that can be frustrating – particularly during a divisive election campaign.
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