Israeli minister criticizes royal itinerary over Jerusalem

JERUSALEM – The status of Jerusalem in the royal itinerary for Prince William’s upcoming visit has angered an Israeli Cabinet member.

Jerusalem affairs minister Zeev Elkin wrote on Facebook Monday that a “distortion” cannot “change reality.”

The Prince is to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories next week, the first official visit by a British royal.

His schedule lists Jerusalem as part of the “Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 war from Jordan and annexed it in a move not internationally recognized.

Israel views the territory, home to key holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, as an inseparable part of its capital.

Palestinians claim it as the capital of a future state.

The city’s fate is an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict.