Sadiq Khan has seen a lot in his seven years as London mayor: Brexit, a pandemic, terror attacks, a tower block fire tragedy, five prime ministers and a cost-of-living crisis. Yet it’s a war more than 3,500 kilometers away that could have the most profound effect on this diverse city of almost 9 million people, and his own legacy. The fighting between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh week, is shaking Muslim and Jewish people, who have lived side-by-side in London for generations, to their core. "This is the worst I’ve known it,” the mayor said in an interview with Bloomberg, remembering his role as minister during the 2008-09 war in Gaza. The overall number of hate crimes recorded by London police in October was up nearly 46% compared to the same month last year.

Source: The Times November 26, 2023 07:26 UTC