UK Keeps East Jerusalem Consulate Open as a Smaller Mission After Israeli Closure Order

Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem will keep operating on a reduced scale under a new name, the UK Mission, Jerusalem, after Israel's deadline to close it expired on Thursday. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the building will not close, while Israel said most of its diplomats are leaving.

Israel had ordered the consulate shut in response to British sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on importing goods made there. According to Al Jazeera, Thursday marked 30 days since that order.

What Israel and the UK each said on Thursday

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel had authorized the UK to keep working from the building in a limited scope with seven diplomats. He said 20 diplomats, including the British consul general, were ending their assignments and would leave Israel. The Independent reported he said no further measures would be taken over the matter and that the two governments agreed to continue dialogue.

Saar also wrote on X that Israel had set a principle that no action against it would go without retaliation. Al Jazeera reported that Reuters journalists saw workers remove a plaque reading “British Consulate General” and a sign for the consular section, while the British flag still flew over the building.

Miliband said the UK does not accept that Israel has the legal right to close the consulate. The Independent reported he reiterated the British view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory. He said the mission will keep delivering vital services and work with Palestinians. Having withdrawn some staff and families in recent weeks, he said, the UK would now work to build up its presence.

Miliband said Britain would take no reciprocal action while talks continue, following speculation that it could expel some Israeli diplomats. He added that the UK stands by the measures it took on Sept. 8.

Why the consulate is distinct from the embassy

The consulate in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood handles British relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and provides consular services to Palestinians. The Guardian noted it is separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, which was not affected by the closure order. Al Jazeera said the British presence in Jerusalem dates back almost 200 years; The Independent put it at more than 200 years.

The Guardian reported that the Foreign Office was informally advised by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve that closing the consulate on the grounds it sits in East Jerusalem would be unlawful. The United Nations and most countries, including the UK, regard East Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian territory. Israel disputes that the settlements are illegal.

Why it matters for people who rely on the mission

The practical effect is a smaller British diplomatic operation serving Palestinians. With 20 diplomats leaving and seven permitted to stay, the mission will work at reduced capacity, although Miliband said it would continue vital services and rebuild its presence.

The dispute also has wider diplomatic weight. The Guardian reported that diplomats from other Western countries worried a closure could set a precedent, and suggested Britain needed to respond firmly for that reason. The paper said Israel has also said it will revoke the credentials of Dutch diplomats at its mission to Palestine after the Netherlands banned imports from settlements, while France and Canada, which joined the UK in a settlement trade ban, have not faced action.

Strained but still close ties

The Guardian said UK-Israeli relations have worsened during the Gaza war, and that Britain has rescinded many arms export licenses to Israel. Al Jazeera noted that the two countries remain close economic, security and intelligence partners.

The Guardian reported that Miliband told Parliament that settler terrorists, supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, were committing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Israel disputes this. Saar called the British sanctions “morally distorted.”

What happens next

The two governments have agreed to keep talking, and Britain has said it will hold off on retaliation during those talks. The sources do not give a timetable for the discussions.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Independent, The Guardian