11 October 2022; MEMO: The Council of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem has expressed "grave concern" over Britain's intention to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem, warning that the move would "severely undermine the key principle" of corpus separatum, which relates to Jerusalem's special status as a city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims alike.
"We, the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, have noted with grave concern the recent call of the new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at the request of the Conservative Friends of Israel, for her government to review the placement of the British Embassy to Israel from its present location in Tel Aviv to a new site in Jerusalem," the Council said in a statement.
"The religious Status Quo in Jerusalem is essential for preserving the harmony of our Holy City and good relations between religious communities around the globe," it said.
The council said it regards this embassy review "as a further impediment to advancing the already moribund Peace Process."
Last month, during a meeting with her Isralei counterpart Yair Lapid, Truss said her administration was reviewing relocating the British embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city of Jerusalem. Following in the footsteps of the US, which made the move in 2018.
