UK says Jerusalem mission stays open as Israel limits diplomats

Britain says its diplomatic building in occupied East Jerusalem will remain open as a UK mission, despite Israel’s declaration that the British consulate has ended its operations and most of its diplomats must leave.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that 20 British diplomats, including the consul general, were ending their assignments and would leave Israel. He said Israel had authorised a task force of seven diplomats to work in the building, but only with “a very limited scope of activity”.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK did not accept that Israel had the right to close the consulate. Following discussions with the Israeli government, he said, the building “will not be closing” and would be known from Thursday as the UK Mission, Jerusalem. The BBC reported separately that Miliband said the mission would “work with the Palestinian people”.

The dispute follows measures Israel announced on September 8 in response to British sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel said it would close the consulate within 30 days of the sanctions announcement, the BBC reported. Al Jazeera reported that the British sanctions included a ban on imports of goods produced in the settlements. The United Nations and most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law; Israel disputes that assessment.

“We did not want it to come to this,” Saar wrote on social media. He said the sign identifying the British consulate had been removed and declared: “The British Consulate in Jerusalem is closing its operations today.” The British flag was still flying outside the building Thursday, and staff were seen entering, according to the BBC.

Miliband said the two governments had not reached an understanding on “necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises”. Britain had therefore “temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families to ensure their safety and security”, he said. Al Jazeera reported that Miliband said Britain would work to build up its presence.

“The UK government reiterates its long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory,” Miliband said in a written statement.

Both sides addressed the prospect of further measures as talks continued. Saar said an agreement with Britain meant “no steps will be taken against Israel”. Al Jazeera reported that Miliband said Britain would not take reciprocal action while the discussions proceeded. Israeli media had reported that Britain might expel Israeli diplomats from London; Al Jazeera described reports of a threat to expel 27 diplomats as unverified.

The consulate, first established in 1838, handles British relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Al Jazeera reported that it also provides consular services to Palestinians. It is separate from the British embassy in Tel Aviv, which handles relations with Israel’s government and is not affected by the closure order.

For now, the governments describe the outcome differently: Israel says the consulate has closed its operations, while Britain says its mission will remain in the building with fewer diplomats.