Labour’s London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan is expected to issue a direct challenge to Muslims and Jews who promote “division and hostility” between the two communities.
In a speech at the Union of Jewish Students’ annual conference on Wednesday afternoon he is due to say: "It’s sad, but there are a great many people who say that we shouldn’t get on - a room full of Jews and me, a Muslim.
“They say that we’re very different. That we have fundamentally opposed world views.
"You’ll hear it from Muslims and Jews alike – from community leaders, religious leaders and others.
“They are the propagandists of division and hostility between our communities.”
The Tooting MP said both Jews and Muslims had “a responsibility” to tell doubters “and the rest of world, that they’re wrong”.
Around 100 students were at the full-day conference at the JW3 centre in north-west London.
Mr Khan is expected to tell them: “Some will have questioned whether I should have been invited to speak with you. And others will question whether I should have accepted your kind invitation.
“Well they’re wrong. I believe that you and I actually have more in common than most people – and I don’t just mean our good looks and youth.
“I believe that British Muslims and British Jews have more in common than almost any other communities.”
At the conference members will vote on policy for the coming year and discover the results of the election for UJS president.
In his speech Mr Khan is expected to tell students he is passionate about challenging the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia if elected as London mayor.
He is due to commit to working with London universities to ensure that “antisemitic or Islamophobic preachers of hate are not welcome in any university in our city – and are not given a platform for their poisonous views”.
Mr Khan is also expected to promise to support mainstream Muslims who challenge extremists and work with internet providers to ban extremist websites.
National Union of Students president Megan Dunn and president of the European Union of Jewish Students Benny Fischer also addressed the students.
