The Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Aryeh King, on Monday urged the Israeli government to immediately cut water, internet, and other services to the British consulate in Jerusalem. He criticized the continued use of services provided by Israel by the consulate, noting that the British government considers its consulate to be in occupied territory.
Protests Outside the British Consulate
King made these remarks while leading a small group of protesters who had gathered outside the British consulate. This demonstration took place less than a month before the deadline set by Israel for the consulate's closure, and the number of participants was significantly lower than King had expected. The protesters waved flags in support of the extremist party "Otzma Yehudit."
Britain's Response to Israeli Settlements
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar issued the order to close the consulate following the announcement of extensive British actions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These actions include plans to ban imports from settlements to Britain. In his statements, Sa'ar accused Britain of hostility towards Israel, saying: "If you see Jerusalem as occupied territory, why do you use our services?"
King also announced that the consulate receives water from the "Hagihon" company and telephone and internet services from the "Bezeq" company. He urged Britain to cut off the services itself rather than wait for action from Israel.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described these actions last week as an effort to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution and to counter the expansion of settlements and violence from settlers. He also emphasized that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and that "settler terrorists" are committing ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.
Israel responded to these actions by not only closing the consulate but also expelling British representatives from the military-civil coordination center in Kiryat Gat and halting training for Palestinian Authority security forces. King is also seeking a symbolic response from the municipality to this dispute and last week called for the renaming of "King George Street" to "Tabor Hertz."
