UK Keeps East Jerusalem Consulate Open as “UK Mission, Jerusalem” Despite Israeli Closure Order

London: Britain’s nearly 200-year-old consulate in East Jerusalem will remain open under a new name and with a sharply reduced staff, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced on Thursday, as an Israeli deadline for the mission’s closure expired.

Following discussions with the Israeli government, Miliband said the British Consulate General building would not close and would operate from Thursday as the “UK Mission, Jerusalem”. He said the mission would remain independent and operational, continuing to provide services to and work with Palestinians in Jerusalem and the wider occupied Palestinian territories.

Under the arrangement, seven diplomats will remain at the mission out of a previous staff of 27, with the remaining 20 leaving the country under an understanding reached between the two governments. Israel said most British diplomats would be required to vacate the building and depart. Miliband said that, having withdrawn a number of staff and their families in recent weeks, Britain would work to rebuild its presence in the coming months.

Miliband made clear that London does not accept that Israel has the legal right to close the consulate, and reiterated the British government’s long-standing position that East Jerusalem is occupied territory. He said the arrangement would allow Britain to maintain its diplomatic presence in the city while continuing to support the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Israel ordered the consulate to close last month in retaliation for Britain’s sanctions on Israeli settlements, including a complete ban on products from the occupied West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had set Thursday as the deadline for the closure. On the eve of the deadline, workers were seen removing the plaque identifying the building as the British Consulate General, along with signage marking its consular section.

Britain had sought to keep the mission open through diplomatic channels, including dispatching its national security adviser to Israel last week for talks. Miliband also moved to dampen speculation that London would retaliate by expelling Israeli diplomats, a step that would have marked a highly unusual escalation between two countries that remain close security, intelligence and economic partners.

Located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, the consulate handles Britain’s relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and provides consular services to Palestinians. Britain’s diplomatic presence in Jerusalem dates back to 1838, when the country appointed its first vice-consul in the city. East Jerusalem was captured by Israel in the 1967 war and is regarded by the United Nations and most countries, including the United Kingdom, as occupied Palestinian territory.