£4,000 to defend link with Muslim cleric

The Mayor provoked anger among sections of the Jewish community when he welcomed the controversial Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi to City Hall last year.

Dr al-Qaradawi believes it is acceptable for Palestinians to become suicide bombers. He also believes that homosexuality should be "discouraged".

Last month Mr Livingstone spent £4,000 of public funds drawing up a dossier justifying his support for Dr al-Qaradawi.

The Mayor spent a further £5,000 of public funds hosting a City Hall party last month called Peace for Palestine.

In November he sparked anger among Tory Assembly members when he used his free newspaper, The Londoner, to promote a Palestinian trade fair being held in the capital. But Mr Livingstone said he was trying to outline to Londoners "the desperate state of the Palestinian economy".

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