Nigel Farage has called Mayor of London Sadiq Khan a “hypocrite” for censuring the U.S. president over a temporary ban on immigration from some majority-Muslim states while hosting a party with dignitaries from 11 nations that ban Israelis.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on the government to rescind its offer of a full state visit to President Donald J. Trump while the policy remains in place, prompting the former UKIP leader to tweet: “You want Trump banned from UK but are happy with anti-Israeli discrimination. You are a hypocrite @SadiqKhan.”
Khan is hosting the largest ever gathering of ambassadors and dignitaries at City Hall on Tuesday night, where he is expected to tell his guests: “I’ve been clear that President Trump’s actions are unacceptable for a liberal, open democracy, like America, and we can’t be seen to be endorsing them in any way,” the Evening Standard has reported.
He will add: “As an international community, I believe we have a responsibility to show moral leadership, and so my ask of you tonight is this: join me in speaking out against this ban and condemning it for what it really is – discriminatory, self-defeating and completely un-American.
“Targeting people for no reason other than their faith or their country of birth is cruel, prejudiced and counterproductive.”
However, dignitaries from 11 of the 16 countries who permanently block travel by Israeli passport holders – Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen – will be present at the meeting. None have attracted censure from the mayor over their bans.
The remaining five countries to block travel by Israeli passport holders are Algeria, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Moreover, six of the seven nations affected by the temporary travel ban to the U.S. are among those who block travel by Israeli passport holders.
Commenting, UKIP London Assembly Member Peter Whittle said: “Will the Mayor use this occasion to speak out against the 11 countries that permanently ban Israelis? Of course he won’t. Will he rescind their invites to this party, just as he’s calling for the state visit to be stopped? Of course he won’t. Like the protesters yesterday, his outrage is highly selective.”