Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King on Monday called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to leave the city, saying he was “unwelcome” in the Israeli capital and that his presence was “creating a bad feeling.”
Blinken, who was in Israel for the first leg of a brief tour of the Middle East and North Africa, had tweeted a condemnation of the terror attack in Hadera on Sunday evening, which claimed the lives of two Israeli Border Police officers.
“We condemn today’s terrorist attack in Hadera, Israel. Such senseless acts of violence and murder have no place in society. We stand with our Israeli partners and send our condolences to the families of the victims,” he wrote.
The Islamic State terrorist organization took credit for the attack, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
In an English-language typo-laden reply, King wrote: “Dear sir. May I ask you as a deputy mayor of Jerusalem, the Jewish holy capital, to leave our city? You are not welcome at all. Your visit to Jerusalem is creating a bad feeling [among] most … Jerusalem residents. It seems that you intend to create [a] provocation. Please leave our capital.”
King, a right-wing politician and activist who has a history of making controversial statements, was appointed deputy mayor in 2020.
He is the founder of the Israel Land Foundation, which works to purchase Arab-owned property in Israel, and has been active in legal efforts to reclaim Jewish-owned land in eastern Jerusalem, including the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. His home in the city’s Ma’aleh Zeitim neighborhood has been repeatedly attacked, including with firebombs.
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