London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been reported to a standards watchdog following his recent public remarks concerning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS) leader Alex Hearn lodged a formal complaint against the mayor under the Greater London Authority code of conduct, citing breaches relating to "objectivity, honesty and community relations," LAAS announced on social media after an initial report given to the Telegraph.
The complaint stems from recent comments made by Khan during an interview with Channel 4 News, where he discussed whether the UK would enforce an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu and referred to the Israeli leader as a "perpetrator of genocide." Hearn argued that while the mayor was entitled to his personal opinions, "his claim that Mr Netanyahu was a 'perpetrator of genocide' had not been determined by any judge or international body."
LAAS cites GLA code of conduct
In the complaint, LAAS cited the GLA code of conduct, which "emphasizes the need to foster good relations between different communities and Londoners with different characteristics." Hearn noted that "more than half of all anti-Semitic incidents recorded in the United Kingdom in 2025 referenced or were connected to Israel or the conflict in Gaza."
Detailing the action in their social media posts quoting the Telegraph report, a spokesperson for Labour Against Antisemitism stated that "the mayor's comments were not just misleading." The group added that "in the context of racist attacks against Jewish Londoners – the majority of which invoke Israel as a pretext – they were highly irresponsible", asserting that "his words were the opposite of community safety, for which he is responsible."
The controversy follows broader community concerns regarding public discourse and safety for Jewish residents in the capital. Hearn asserted that "in that context, a statement by the mayor as to who is and is not welcome in London, attached to a contested and legally undetermined accusation bound up with the state of Israel, is capable of being received by Jewish Londoners as bearing on their own standing in the city, irrespective of the mayor's intention."