Prince William Irks Israel With ‘Occupied’ East Jerusalem Itinerary
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge pose ahead of a lunch at the Royal Palace of Stockholm during day one of their Royal visit to Sweden. Image by Victoria Jones-Pool/Getty Images
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin has called on the staff of Britain’s Prince William to correct the itinerary for his upcoming official visit to Israel.
Elkin is angry because the Prince’s schedule lists Jerusalem as being in the “Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
“United Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years and no distortion in the tour itinerary can change that reality,” Elkin said in a statement that also was posted on Facebook on Monday. “I expect the prince’s people to correct the distortion.”
“It’s regrettable that Britain chose to politicize the Royal visit,” Elkin also said, according to Ynet.
William reportedly will visit the Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Western Wall, all in the Old City, which are not specifically listed on his schedule, and could be labeled as private visits. However, his itinerary reportedly includes time for “allowing His Royal Highness to understand and pay respect to the religions and history of the region.”
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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