London Mayor Sides with Israel Against Boycotters

London Mayor Boris Johnson blasted boycotters of Israel on Monday during a visit to Tel Aviv with a delegation of politicians and business people.

The London mayor said he understood his comments against a trade boycott of Israel have been “very much whipped up” on social media.

The mayor of London protested that he had been misunderstood, and asserted that the cancelations were made by organizers in light of security concerns expressed by Prime Minister Hamdallah.

Speaking after his meeting with Mr Hamdallah, Mr Johnson continued to cite “elements on social media” for wanting to disrupt the events.

Boris Johnson finishes his swift Middle East tour with visits to world-renowned holy sites and Palestine, amid a backdrop of heightened security in Jerusalem. Yet his invitation was retracted following what they referred to as “inaccurate, misinformed, and disrespectful” remarks concerning BDS. “We, at Sharek Youth Forum, refuse to give a platform to someone who fails to acknowledge our very existence as Palestinians”.

A number of Palestinian groups then refused to meet him while he was also informed his comments had led to additional security risks if he were to visit the West Bank, Johnson’s office said.

“The supporters of this so-called boycott are really just corduroy-jacketed academics that have no real standing on the matter and I think are highly unlikely to be influential on Britain”, he said.

“As Palestinians and supporters of BDS, we can not in good conscience host Johnson”.

Johnson, on a trade mission to Israel and the Palestinian Authority to bolster economic ties with both sides, called the movement “completely insane”.

The bill, proposed by the right-wing Jewish Home party, says that, “Anyone who calls for a boycott of Israel is engagning in terrorism and must not be allowed to travel the country freely”.

“He would have had a chance to visit young Palestinians living under occupation”. While pleased to be back in the West Bank, he observed: “It seems as though there’s a few anxiety about a few meetings – they’re anxious about a few of the safety aspects”.

“I think a few people have taken remarks I made about the boycott – which after all is British government policy – have taken offence at that”, he said.

“There’s a few stuff going on on social media apparently, so rather depressingly we can’t do the youth forum and one other meeting”.

In the past month there has been a spike in violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Sharek Youth Forum, which had organised a cancelled event, said: “It is our conclusion he consciously denies the reality of the occupation that continues to oppress all Palestinians”.

Mr Johnson did not retract or apologise his words.