Indeed, Kropiwnicki was a good example how a “green conservative” politician of Jewish heritage can change a city for better. However, it soon became apparent to me that this is not the case when it comes to his London conservative counterpart, who became active in the Conservative Party’s smear campaign against Sadiq Khan by accusing him of sharing a platform with extremists on the grounds of association simply because Khan is a Muslim.
Regardless of the fact that Goldsmith eventually lost to a “son of a Pakistani bus driver,” Islamophobia is still alive and well. It can be seen clearly in those publically associating Khan’s victory with the fulfilment of a prophecy set in the Melanie Phillips book titled “Londonistan.” Decades ago, Samuel Huntington warned that “in Western Europe, anti-Semitism directed against Arabs has largely replaced Anti-Semitism against Jews” (though I would argue it relates to Muslims in general, not exclusively Arabs), which helps put this complicated issue in perspective.
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