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Board criticises Foreign Office over Jerusalem listing
Foreign office lists Israel and Jerusalem as two separate places
November 20, 2020 10:57
Foreign office lists Israel and Jerusalem as two separate places
November 20, 2020 10:57The Board of Deputies has criticised the Foreign Office for listing Jerusalem as separate to Israel in its updated travel corridors list.
The UK announced on Thursday that travellers from Jerusalem and Israel and several other destinations would be exempted from a 14-day quarantine in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Those restrictions will be lifted from 4am on 21 November following “a decrease in risk” from Covid-19 in several regions, the Foreign Office said.
Thursday’s announcement included a list of nine “countries, territories and regions” that would be exempted from the restrictions. Jerusalem and Israel were listed as separate bullet points.
In a statement on Friday, the Board of Deputies described the move as “absolutely inappropriate” and said it had taken up its concerns with the Foreign Office.
But the Jewish Chronicle understands the city was listed separately to indicate it would form part of the new travel corridor in its entirety, including East Jerusalem.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK’s position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states.
"In line with relevant Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This decision on travel corridors is driven by public health considerations based on epidemiological evidence.”
The UK has not recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Update: The foreign office's quarantine advice appears to have been amended last week. Jerusalem and Israel are no longer listed as separate bullet points.