Britain's consulate in Jerusalem will continue to operate on a smaller scale as the "UK Mission" following discussions with the Israeli government. The building will remain open to deliver vital services and work with the Palestinian people, though some staff have been temporarily withdrawn for security reasons. The move comes after Israel ordered the consulate's closure in retaliation for UK sanctions on Israeli settlements.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that the UK does not accept Israel's right to close the consulate, which has been in operation since 1838. He reiterated the UK's long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory. Following discussions, the building will not close and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from Thursday, ensuring a "longstanding British presence and the UK’s role in support of two state solution."
However, an understanding was not reached on "necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises." Accordingly, the UK has temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families to ensure their safety. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that 20 diplomats and the Consul General would leave Israel, while a task force of seven diplomats with a "very limited scope of activity" would remain in the building, which he acknowledged is "the property of the British government."
Israel had announced in September it would shut the consulate within 30 days of the UK sanctions announcement, which were imposed on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The UK government had made efforts to persuade Israel not to close the consulate ahead of Thursday's deadline.
