Jerusalem Councilman Demands UK Consulate Cut Services Over Sovereignty Stance

A Jerusalem city council member, Aryeh King, has sharply criticized British policy and the British Consulate's activities during a protest outside the consulate in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. King participated in the demonstration on Tuesday, calling the British government's stance "hypocritical."

King stated in an interview that the consulate benefits from services provided by Israeli companies, including electricity, communications, and water, despite Britain not recognizing Israeli sovereignty in East Jerusalem. "If they want to disconnect from Israeli companies operating in East Jerusalem, they should kindly disconnect from the telephone, the internet, and the water," King asserted.

He also addressed traffic and security arrangements around the consulate, claiming a road was closed at the British mission's request. King argued that if the consulate does not accept the authority of the Jerusalem Municipality, it should relinquish these arrangements and reopen the road to public use.

King urged the Israeli government to act immediately, stating, "The government should not wait a week or two, not a month or two, but act today, to actively disconnect the consulate from all services belonging to the State of Israel." He extended this call to any country refusing to recognize Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, advocating for similar action against them.