Politics
Israel has closed the British Consulate in Jerusalem and expelled 20 diplomats from the country in response to British sanctions against Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank
Israel has closed the British Consulate in Jerusalem and expelled 20 diplomats from the country in response to British sanctions against Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. However, a limited staff of seven diplomats has been allowed to continue operating to manage the situation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed on Thursday that the British Consulate in Jerusalem had ceased operations. He said the missions of 20 diplomats, including the consul general, had been terminated and that they were leaving the country.
Sa’ar added that the decision was taken following negotiations with the British government to prevent further tensions between the two countries. He clarified that the consulate building is owned by the British government and that only a seven-member task force would now be permitted to operate there with a highly restricted mandate. The two governments have nevertheless agreed to continue discussions on key issues.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a statement that Britain would continue providing essential services to the Palestinian people in Jerusalem. He said the UK would operate the building under the name “UK Mission, Jerusalem,” which would remain fully operational and autonomous. Miliband said Britain did not recognize the Israeli government’s authority to order the closure of the consulate. He added that Britain would work to restore its presence in the coming months and would not take retaliatory action while serious discussions on the matter were continuing.
According to AFP, the British diplomatic emblem and plaque were removed from the exterior of the consulate building on Thursday. An Israeli diplomatic source said the move meant Britain had lost an important and historic presence associated with its support for the Palestinians. According to the source, although Britain was retaining the building and a limited number of diplomats, its historic and prominent influence had effectively ended. The source said relations between the two countries had been in continuous decline since September 8, but recent negotiations had created a new and positive turn in the situation.
The diplomatic tensions began after 12 countries, including Britain, Canada and France, imposed trade restrictions on Israeli settlers following violent attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. In response, Sa’ar ordered the closure of the British Consulate on September 8. Israel has also introduced other punitive measures in response to the sanctions. These include expelling British representatives from the Gaza ceasefire monitoring center, banning British training for Palestinian Authority forces, and imposing entry bans on 12 British citizens, including members of Parliament.
The British Consulate in Jerusalem was established nearly 200 years ago. It is located in East Jerusalem, an area historically regarded as Palestinian territory that Israel occupied in 1967. Israel later annexed East Jerusalem and declared it part of its “undivided capital.” Although Israel exercises full control over East Jerusalem, Britain and most countries around the world do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area. According to its website, the British Consulate had overseen Britain’s political, commercial, security and economic interests with the Palestinians, while also providing consular services to British citizens in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
