NATION : Kollek Hits British ‘Apartheid’
Mayor Teddy Kollek accused the British Consulate in the holy city today of practicing “apartheid” by holding separate official functions for Arabs and Jews.
Kollek’s spokeswoman said he will boycott a reception in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s birthday Wednesday in protest.
“This is a form of apartheid to which we cannot acquiesce. It is the role of a consulate to maintain contact with all the residents of the place where it is located; it is not its role to divide them,” Kollek said in a statement.
British Consul General Ivan Callan defended the policy, saying many Jews and Arabs would boycott joint events.
Except for the U.S. Consulate, all consulates in Jerusalem maintain a policy of holding separate functions for Arabs and Jews.
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