Canada bars extremist Jerusalem deputy mayor Arieh King from entering country

Canada has denied entry to Arieh King, the Deputy Mayor of West Jerusalem, cancelling his scheduled visit to Toronto and Montreal. Meir Weinstein, an organizer of an event where King was slated to speak, announced on X that Canadian authorities had revoked King's electronic travel authorization.

Grassroots campaigners, anti-genocide activists, the Legal Centre for Palestine, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, and the Hind Rajab Foundation were instrumental in pushing for the ban. These organizations also filed a criminal complaint with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Legal Centre for Palestine stated that King's actions, which they believe facilitate ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem, are illegal under both international and Canadian law.

Arieh King, a British-Israeli citizen, is known for his anti-Palestinian settler stance and resides in the settlement of Ma'ale HaZeitim within the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud in occupied East Jerusalem. The Israel Land Fund, an organization King founded, organized his visit to Canada and a subsequent trip to the U.S. to raise funds for "investment" around Jerusalem. The organization's stated goal is to forcibly displace Palestinian families and replace them with Jewish settlers.

King has a documented history of making inflammatory remarks, including calling for accelerated actions against Palestinians in Gaza and describing detained Palestinians as "subhuman." He has also advocated for the elimination of UNRWA personnel and promoted a project to encourage the emigration of "non-Jews" from Israel. Additionally, King has led protests targeting Christians in Jerusalem, asserting they are "unwanted in Israel and in Jerusalem in particular."