The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has agreed to urge Britain’s Interior Minister Amber Rudd to consider classifying Lebanese group Hezbollah as an illegal “proscribed” organisation under UK terrorism legislation.

The move comes after flags of the terror group were openly flown during the al-Quds parade in London in June, with the police taking no action. Hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators marched through central London for the annual march, holding banners reading ‘Boycott Israel’, ‘Zionism=racism’ and ‘We are all Hezbollah’.

Organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, participants marched behind a Hezbollah flag while the group’s symbol was carried by supporters and worn on clothing, including by children, without police action.

Figures from across the political spectrum have called for a change in the law to proscribe the political wing, just as the military wing already is.

MP’s raised the issue again this week in the House of Commons as they held a lengthy debate about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. negotiations. The United States and Canada have declared Hezbollah an illegal organisation in their terrorism legislation and make no distinction between political and military wings. The Gulf Cooperation Council recently outlawed Hezbollah and also made no such distinction.

“Quds Day” participants and Hezbollah supporters made a mockery of the law by wearing Hezbollah t-shirts and waving Hezbollah flags with paper notes attached stating that they were only supporting the ‘political wing’ of Hezbollah.

Sadiq Khan told the London Jewish News: “I share the concerns of London’s Jewish community and others about support shown for Hezbollah, an illegal, proscribed and anti-Semitic organisation, at the annual Al Quds Day march. Anti-Semitism or hate crime of any kind has no place in our city, where we don’t just tolerate diversity, we respect and celebrate it.

“I remain in contact with the Met (Metropolitan Police) Commissioner about this issue, and will be writing to the Home Secretary to make strong representations on behalf of London’s Jewish communities about their legitimate and understandable concerns. I will continue to work with the Met and communities across the capital to do everything in my power to crack down on extremism and ensure London’s Jewish communities feel safe and secure in London.”

The Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, welcomed the Mayor’s step. ‘’Hezbollah itself does not distinguish between its military and political wing which, is one and the same. The Government urgently needs to follow the example of the USA, Canada and the Arab League by outlawing Hezbollah in its entirety. It is a terrorist organisation – end of.”

Britain's Zionist Feeration, in partnership with Jewish News, has launched a campaign advocating full proscription of Hezbollah.