NATION : Kollek Hits British ‘Apartheid’
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JERUSALEM — 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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