Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin has publicly slammed Britain’s Kensington Palace for its statement describing Israeli territory as “Occupied Palestinian Territories” in the upcoming historic official 3-day trip to the region by Prince William on June 25.
“It’s regrettable that Britain chose to politicize the royal visit,” Elkin said in response to the statement. “United Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for more than 3,000 years, and no twisted wording of the official press release will change the reality. I expect the prince’s staff to correct this distortion,” Elkin declared.
The official statement by Kensington Palace about the upcoming visit by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, which made no mention of the State of Israel, said: “The program in the Occupied Palestinian Territories will begin with a short briefing on the history and geography of Jerusalem’s Old City from a viewing point at the Mount of Olives. It will allow His Royal Highness to understand and pay respect to the religions and history of the region.”
Prince William is slated to arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport on June 25 after two days in Jordan before traveling to the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where he will stay for the remainder of his trip. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin and will tour the Western Wall and other sites holy to the region’s three monotheistic religions during his visit.