Ken Livingstone

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has said he doesn't support a planned academic boycott of Israel. Livingstone was speaking at a public meeting organised by the Movement for Reform Judaism at its Sternberg Centre in Finchley, north London.

In his first major public meeting with the Jewish community, over 250 people heard Livingstone talk for an hour and also take questions form the audience.

The London Mayor revealed his views as the University and College Union vote on whether to implement a boycott of Israeli academia.

Livingstone said a boycott would impact on efforts to restart the peace process in the Middle East.

Other issues addressed including the Mayor saying it is a mistake to consider Zionism to be racism and that he reaffirmed his support to a two state solution in the Middle East.