London Mayor Refuses to Apologize for Remark

Ken Livingstone

LONDON
London's controversial mayor is off the hook -- almost. The High Court of London overturned Ken Livingstone's suspension for likening a Jewish journalist to a concentration-camp guard.

Yet it's only a partial verdict since the presiding judge, Lawrence Collins, hasn't yet decided if Livingstone is guilty of breaching his office's code of conduct, a fact that has not escaped Jewish community leaders.

"The removal of the suspension is only part of this case," said Jon Benjamin, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. "But I think all of London is heartily sick of this saga, and we are astounded by the lengths he will go to not have to apologize."

Earlier this year, Livingstone was suspended from office for four weeks by the Adjudication Panel of England for the Nazi jibe he made to Evening Standard reporter Oliver Finegold, who is Jewish. The suspension had been stayed pending the appeal's outcome.

"It is not an easy case. There are certain ramifications -- whatever I decide -- which will affect other matters," stated Collins.

He added that if Livingstone had apologized, the issue would not have come to court. But Livingstone refused, despite an appeal from British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"It's not even an issue whether the comments the mayor made were offensive and intended to cause offense. He and his counsel have admitted that already," said Benjamin. "The issue for us is that he was intentionally offensive, and he shows no remorse or contrition. He needs to reconcile with the Jewish community."

Livingstone has become unpopular with many members of Britain's Jewish community. Several groups pulled out of last month's 350th-anniversary celebration of British Jewry due to the involvement of the mayor's office.

In an apparent attempt to shift the focus of the case, Livingstone has accused the Board of Deputies of targeting him because he is so fiercely anti-Israel. Benjamin has countered that the mayor is trying to create a smokescreen.

The board "was only one of 24 groups who lodged complaints against the mayor's offensive remarks," said Benjamin. "And we didn't submit our letter to the Standards Committee until a week after he made the remarks, which was after even the prime minister had asked him to apologize. So why has he decided to single out the board?

"It's a sad day when the mayor's biggest triumph is having a judge proclaim him not anti-Semitic," he continued. "Not being anti-Semitic is really nothing to crow about."