Rayhan Uddin
Middle East Eye / October 11, 2022
Islamic Waqf leaders and two grand muftis write to new monarch to express deep concern about potential relocation.
Senior Muslim leaders in Jerusalem have written to King Charles III expressing “deep concern” about UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’s decision to consider moving the British embassy from its current location in Tel Aviv, in a letter seen by Middle East Eye.
At a meeting with her Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, Truss said she was considering moving the embassy to Jerusalem. She later announced that she had launched a review into the issue.
A statement addressed to Britain’s new monarch written by leaders of the Islamic Waqf, a Palestinian-Jordanian body that runs the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, and the current and former grand muftis of Jerusalem and Palestine, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein and Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, respectively, condemned the potential relocation.
“Jerusalem has been a great example of coexistence and peace between its religious communities for centuries,” the joint letter said.
“The International Community, including the United Kingdom, recognized the special historic and legal arrangement, also known as the ‘Status Quo‘ since 1852.”
The letter stated that the special status of protecting the rights of different religions continued until 1967, “when Israel started to impose many unilateral measures in favor of its Jewish identity/community”.
It explained that the international community, through multiple United Nations resolutions, has denied Israel’s unilateral measures, and called on conserving the pre-1967 status quo.
“We oppose moving the British embassy to Jerusalem since we understand it, as a message to the universe that the UK, in contrary to the international law and the Status Quo, accepts the continuing Israeli illegal military occupation of the Palestinian territories, the Israeli unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem and the Israeli illegal Judaization measures in the Holy City.”
It added that the move undermined a two-state solution and would inflame religious conflict in an “already unstable situation in Jerusalem”.
In response to the letter, a spokesperson for King Charles told MEE that this was “a matter for the UK government”.
King Charles III visited Jerusalem as Prince of Wales in 2020, when he expressed sympathy for Palestinians and wished them “freedom, justice and equality” in the future. His admiration and knowledge of Islamic history and theology have also been well documented.
Condemnations
The letter is the latest in a long list of statements from senior religious figures to condemn the potential move.
On Monday, Christian leaders in Jerusalem described the review as a “further impediment to advancing the already moribund peace process”.
A spokesperson for Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, told Middle East Eye last week: “The archbishop is concerned about the potential impact of moving the British Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem before a negotiated settlement between Palestinians and Israelis has been reached.”
In addition, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic leader in the UK, said he saw “no valid reason” for the move, describing it as “seriously damaging”.
A briefing note circulated by the lobbying group, the Conservative Friends of Israel, to affiliated Conservative members of parliament stated that the UK government already owned land in west Jerusalem earmarked as a site for a new embassy.
In a shock intervention on Tuesday, former UK foreign secretary William Hague – who is an ex-Conservative Party leader – said moving the embassy would align Truss’s government with former US President Donald Trump.
Trump broke with international convention by moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2018 – a move which was then condemned by the British government.
Only three other UN member states have embassies in Jerusalem: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Rayhan Uddin is a Middle East Eye journalist based in London
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UK embassy in Israel: Full letter from Muslim leaders in Jerusalem to King Charles III MEE Staff
Middle East Eye / October 11, 2022
Middle East Eye reveals letter from Islamic Waqf and Grand Mufti of Palestine directed to new British monarch over Israeli embassy location review.
Editor’s note: The following is the full letter sent by senior Muslim leaders in Jerusalem to King Charles III, following UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’s decision to review the location of the British embassy in Israel and consider moving it from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Dear His Majesty King Charles III,
The Council of the Islamic Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs, one of the institutions of the Hashemite King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein’s Custodianship of the Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem, sends His Majesty King Charles III best regards and wishes of great leadership of the United Kingdom and its respected people.
We also would like to express our deepest condolences and profound sympathies on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We wish Your Majesty would be enduring wellness and fortitude to strengthen the pillars of peace and warm relations between world nations on basis of justice, equality and mutual respect.
His Majesty,
We have noted with deep concern the recent call of the British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, for her government to review the placement of the British Embassy to Israel by seeking to move the embassy from its present location in Tel Aviv to a new site in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem has been a great example of coexistence and peace between its religious communities for centuries. The International Community, including the United Kingdom, recognized the special historic and legal arrangement, also known as the “Status Quo” since 1852. This special arrangement safeguarded the rights of religions, their relationships, the Holy Sites and the authentic character of the Holy City of Jerusalem. The respect of the Status Quo continued until the Occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, when Israel started to impose many unilateral measures in favor of its Jewish identity/community. The international community has denied these unilateral measures, including the announcement of both sides of the city, as united capital of the State of Israel in 1980, by frequently adopting tens of UNGA/UNSC/UNESCO resolutions.
The conservation of the pre-1967 Status Quo in Jerusalem is essential for preserving our religious rights, peace in our Holy City and good relations between the religious communities around the globe. The recognition of this Status Quo made most of the world’s governments refraining from moving their embassies to Jerusalem until reaching a final status arrangement by peace and negotiations not by occupation and enforcement.
We oppose moving the British embassy to Jerusalem since we understand it, as a message to the universe that the UK, in contrary to the international law and the Status Quo, accepts the continuing Israeli illegal military occupation of the Palestinian territories, the Israeli unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem and the Israeli illegal Judaization measures in the Holy City. Such move undermines the two-state solution, cancels the possible peace agreement demarcation of borders between the two states. It also inflames religious conflict and an already instable situation in Jerusalem, the rest of the occupied territories and among communities in the UK and worldwide.
Finally, we hope that the British Government will keep on its historic refrain from moving its embassy to Jerusalem and upkeep its commitment to safeguard the historic Status Quo in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Sheikh Abdul-Azim Salhab, Head of the Council of Islamic Jerusalem Awqaf
Sheikh Mohammad Azam Al-Khatib, Director General of Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs
Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, Great Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, Chair of the Islamic Higher Commission in Jerusalem
