Pro-Palestinian groups ask US Justice Dept. to prosecute Jerusalem Deputy Mayor King

Pro-Palestinian organizations have formally requested the US Justice Department to initiate criminal proceedings against Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Aryeh King. The Hind Rajab Foundation announced Tuesday that it submitted a request accusing King of involvement in a "war crime of illegal population transfer" and "incitement to genocide."

The complaint was filed ahead of King's anticipated arrival in the United States for a fundraising tour. He is also expected to visit Canada, with events scheduled in Toronto and Montreal. The Legal Center for Palestine, alongside the Hind Rajab Foundation, also lodged a complaint with the Canadian federal police's war crimes investigation unit.

King, who holds both Israeli and British citizenship, is a prominent figure in East Jerusalem settlement efforts. The foundation alleges he has used his public roles and his work with the Israel Land Fund to facilitate the removal of Palestinians from their homes and the transfer of properties to Jewish ownership, particularly in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods. These actions, the organization claims, could constitute "illegal transfer of protected persons" under the Geneva Convention and a war crime under US law.

The complaint highlights statements King made during the recent conflict, including calls to halt aid to Gaza, support for blockading aid trucks, and alleged calls for expelling Gaza residents and destroying its cities. It also references a removed social media post attributed to King, which included an image of Palestinian detainees and a caption suggesting they should be buried alive by bulldozers. The foundation further accused King of "prolonged incitement against UNRWA," referring to the UN agency as a "Nazi terrorist organization" and welcoming the torching of one of its compounds, while calling for the removal and killing of its personnel. The organization linked these statements to King's efforts to shut down UNRWA institutions in East Jerusalem. The foundation's US representative, Jake Rom, urged authorities to "arrest, prosecute and punish him."

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arrest, prosecute and punish him.