Background Articles On London Mayor Ken Livingstone:

The Guardian - March 4, 2005:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1430316,00.html

The Jewish Week - February 18, 2005:

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=10518

The Jerusalem Post - February 13, 2005:

London Mayor Ken Livingstone is facing an official inquiry for likening a Jewish newspaper reporter to a "German war criminal," according to The Guardian newspaper.

The clash between Livingstone and London's Evening Standard journalist Oliver Finegold occurred outside City Hall last week, where a party was being held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the decision by senior Labor Party politician Chris Smith to openly acknowledge his homosexuality.

Finegold was not allowed into the party, due to the mayor's poor relationship with the paper. When he approached Livingstone on his way out, the mayor refused to answer his questions. Instead, in an allusion to the Daily Mail – the Standard's sister paper which supported the Nazis in the 1930s – Livingstone asked Finegold if he was "a German war criminal."

When Finegold told the Labor mayor he was Jewish and found the "German war criminal" remark offensive, Livingstone responded:

"Well, you might be [Jewish], but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard."
Finegold then reportedly told the mayor to "f--- off."

President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Henry Grunwald described Livingstone's remarks as "appalling" and said his "insensitivity seems to know no bounds.

He should consider his position as mayor of this great city." Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said it was "disgraceful to use a reference to the period of the Holocaust as a way of abusing people today. An apology is the very least I would expect."

Grunwald's group indicated that it may refer Livingstone to the local government watchdog, the Standards Board for England and Wales. If the board of deputies does not, it is understood that Tories on the London assembly will, according the to the Guardian report. Inquiries by the standards board can lead to locally elected officials being censured, suspended or in the most serious cases, disqualified from office.

Asked if he would apologize, Livingstone replied: "Absolutely not."

The London mayor provoked controversy last year when he officially welcomed the extremist Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi to City Hall. Qaradawi, who is regarded as the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, justifies Palestinian suicide bombers, supports wife-beating and advocates the death sentence for homosexuality and adultery.

Last month, Livingstone spent tens of thousands of dollars on a dossier justifying his support for Qaradawi and on a City Hall party on the theme, "Peace for Palestine." In November, he provoked fresh controversy when he used his free newspaper, The Londoner, to promote a Palestinian trade fair being held in the capital in order to inform Londoners of the "desperate state of the Palestinian economy."

The affair coincided with the publication of a report by the Community Security Trust (CST), British Jewry's research and defense organization, which showed an all-time record level of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain last year.

The CST reported a total of 532 incidents in 2004, up 42 percent on the previous year and the highest number since records began 20 years ago. Senior CST official Mike Whine described the 83 violent anti-Semitic attacks in 2004 – up from 54 in 2003 – as "extremely alarming." The report noted that for the first time in five years, attacks on Jewish individuals outnumbered attacks on Jewish property: "The transfer of tensions in the Middle East to the streets of Britain has resulted in an unprecedented level of anti-Semitic incidents," said Whine.

In addition to violent attacks on individuals, anti-Semitic incidents included attacks on synagogues, communal buildings and Jewish cemeteries, as well as verbal threats and abuse, hate mail and phone calls.

In a related development, the ruling Labor Party has withdrawn a poster which depicts opposition Conservative Party leader Michael Howard and shadow finance minister Oliver Letwin, both Jewish, as flying pigs. Another poster, also withdrawn, depicts Howard as the anti-Semitic Fagin figure. The posters are thought to be a prelude to the formal announcement of a British general election, which is expected to be held in May.

Reuters - February 11, 2005:

Livingstone calls Jewish reporter "war criminal"

LONDON (Reuters) - London's outspoken Mayor Ken Livingstone has refused to apologise for calling a Jewish newspaper reporter a war criminal and concentration camp guard, despite complaints from Britain's main Jewish group.

"Are you a German war criminal?" Livingstone was heard saying on a tape recording of the exchange with the Evening Standard journalist at a event to mark the 20th anniversary of former cabinet member Chris Smith announcing he is gay.

When the journalist said he was Jewish and was offended by the mayor's remarks, Livingstone replied: "Actually you are just like a concentration camp guard."

He also called the Evening Standard, a newspaper he has clashed with in the past, a "load of scumbags".

Jon Benjamin, director-general of the board of deputies of British Jews, said: "We are depressed and upset by what really amounts to some rather bizarre comments."

"We have sent in a complaint over these offensive and upsetting comments," he told Reuters on Friday.

A statement from the mayor's office blamed the paper for harassing guests and provoking the mayor. His office said the mayor would not comment further.

"The discussion between the journalist and the mayor escalated, from relatively light hearted comments of the mayor asking whether the journalist's previous job had been as a war criminal -- given the paper he was working for -- to the journalist eventually telling the mayor to 'f**k off'," it said.

The Evening Standard is part of Associated Newspapers, a group whose owner in the 1930s, Lord Rothermere, showed some support for Adolf Hitler.

A frequent, outspoken critic of Israeli policy, Livingstone has denied in the past that he is anti-Semitic.